The Echoing Green
Poem by William Blake
The Echoing green
By William Blake
The sun does arise,
And make happy the skies
The Merry bells ring
To welcome the spring
The sky lark and thrush
The birds of the bush
Sing louder around
To the bells cheerful sound
While our sports shall be seen
On the echoing green
Old John with white hair
Does laugh away care
Sitting under the oak
Under the old folk
They laugh at our play
And Soon they all say
Such such were the joys
When we are all girls and boys
In our youth time were seen
On the echoing green
Till the little ones weary
No more can be merry
The sun does descend
And our sports have an end
Round the laps of their mothers
Many sisters and brothers
Like birds in their nest
Are ready for rest
And sports are no more seen
On the darkening green
Summary
The poem "The Echoing Green" by William Blake describes the scene on a grassy field. The sun shines brightly. The sky looks beautiful. The pleasant sounds of bells come from a nearby church. Songbirds like skylark and thrush are singing cheerfully. The sounds of bells and songs of birds merge into a breathtaking melody to welcome the season of spring. An old man John with grey hair and other old people sit under the oak tree and watch innocent children playing. They forget their worries at this time. The children are happy, young, and excited. The old people recall their memories of childhood. As the evening arrives, the children become tired. They return home and take rest in their mothers' laps. The echoing green looks deserted and gloomy in the darkness of evening.
Rhyming scheme
AABBCCDDEE
The echoing green summary literary devices- analysis
Stanza
The poem has 3 stanzas with 10 lines each.
Connotation
The echoing green
The title indicates natural with the use of the word green.
Imagery
Sun, birds sing louder
Merry bell rings
Smilies
Many sisters and brothers
Birds in the nest
Repetition
The echoing green is used in line10 and line20. Although in line 30, it repeats as The darkening green
Theme
Every life is cheerful and innocent at the start but ends in the dark mostly. Nature connects you back to your purity and past.
Personification
Line 2
Makes happy the skies
Line 4
To welcome the spring
Setting
The setting of The echoing green is a day along a green field such a playing area for kids that is green and close to nature.
Metaphor
Green is a metaphor for innocence
Alliteration
Birds in the bush
Start of a time
The echoing green starts with at the morning times of a day.
End time of the poem
It's evening and dark at the end of the poem "the echoing green"
About the poet
William Blake(1757-1827) was an English poet. He was a great admirer of nature and love rather than the scientific revolution and rationalizing it as a source of pleasure. His most of work got recognition after his death. The poem "the echoing green" was taken from his poetic collection "the songs of innocence".