Directions: Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate options.

My mother bore me in the southern wild,
And I am black, but O ! my soul is white;
White as an angel is the English child :
But I am black as if bereav’d of light.

My mother taught me underneath a tree
And sitting down before the heat of day,
She took me on her lap and kissed me,
And pointing to the east began to say.

Look on the rising sun : there God does live
And gives his light, and gives his heat away.
And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive
Comfort in morning joy in the noonday.

And we are put on earth a little space,
That we may learn to bear the beams of love,
And these black bodies and this sun-burnt face
Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove.

Through the phrase 'as if bereav'd of light', the poet hints at—

The correct option is All of the above.

In the poem 'The Little Black Boy' by William Blake, the speaker describes himself saying, "But I am black as if bereav’d of light." The word 'bereaved' implies being deprived of or lacking something valuable.

Through this phrase, the poet conveys multiple layers of meaning:
1. Colour of the boy: Visually, it refers to his skin tone, which is dark and physically lacks the brightness associated with light.
2. Low self-esteem of the child: The boy feels inferior compared to the English child whom he describes as "White as an angel", showing how societal views have impacted his self-perception.
3. Lack of hope for the future: Being "bereav’d of light" suggests a feeling of darkness, despair, and a struggle to find acceptance and equality in a world dominated by racial prejudice.

Since the phrase hints at the child's skin colour, low self-esteem, and a sense of hopelessness, all the listed choices are accurate interpretations. Therefore, All of the above is the correct choice.