echo Flashcards
what is echo and interpretation of
The poem is a Pre-Raphaelite interpretation of the Roman Myth by John William Waterhouse ‘Echo and Narcicuss’.
anaphora of ‘come’
symbolic of myth of echo’s fate, shows supressed passion in speaker just like mythological figure echo
(echo was condemned to partial silence when she betrayed hera by having an affair with zeus- echo falls in love with narcissus but can’t communicate as she can only echo last words of his own speech, narcissus falls in love with his own reflection, story of unrequited love)
“Come to me in the silence of the night;”
The speaker implores a return in the stillness of the night, where silence signifies a liminal space between consciousness and dreams. Night, often associated with mystery and the subconscious, sets a quiet and intimate tone for the speaker’s longing. This evokes a sense of deep yearning for connection with a lost presence, which echoes through the silence.
“Come in the speaking silence of a dream;”
Analysis: The paradoxical phrase “speaking silence” highlights the non-verbal communication that occurs in dreams. Dreams, here, are a means of reconnecting with the past or with someone who is no longer present. The silence is “speaking,” suggesting that dreams communicate emotions and memories in ways that waking life cannot. It underscores the ineffable quality of the connection between the speaker and the one they long for.
sibilance of ‘silence’ and ‘speaking silence’ first stanza
introduces hushed/ reflective tone
‘soft rounded cheeks’
illusion the heaven (shows idea of a cherub, enforces idea of state between life and death)
‘speaking silence’
direct reference to echo
oxymoron of speaking and silence shows irony (thin line between life and death)
‘sunlight on a stream’
direct reference to narcissus falling in love with own reflection (suggests danger of self indulgence)
e comparison of the beloved’s eyes to “sunlight on a stream” conveys a sense of purity, warmth, and fluidity. Sunlight dancing on water is both transient and beautiful, symbolizing the fleeting nature of life and love. The metaphor also suggests clarity and brightness, qualities that the speaker associates with the person they long for.
“O memory, hope, love of finished years.”
his line encapsulates the threefold essence of the speaker’s longing: memory, hope, and love. These are described as belonging to “finished years,” implying that the love they once shared is now in the past. Memory ties the speaker to what was, hope fuels their desire for reconnection, and love sustains their emotional yearning. The phrase “finished years” suggests both finality and the weight of the past.
‘too bitter sweet’
oxymoron suggests thin line between love and hate and reality and fantasy (echos oxymoron in first stanza, alludes to myth)
epetition of “sweet” and the shift to “bitter sweet” captures the complex emotional texture of the dream. While the dream offers the joy of reunion, it is also tinged with sorrow because the speaker knows it is only temporary.
‘Paradise’
capitalisation- heaven
longing for death suggested (desire to be with god, peace and pain of reality)
“Where souls brimful of love abide and meet;”
The phrase “brimful of love” suggests an overflowing, perfect love that contrasts with the fleeting joys of the physical world. suggests heavens superiority to earthly love
‘watch the slow door’
diameter followed by tetrameter represents opening of a heavenly door, rushed to a loved one or god
The “slow door” symbolizes the boundary between life and death, or perhaps between the earthly and the spiritual realms. The slow movement of the door emphasizes the agonizing wait for reunion, suggesting that the passage to the afterlife is drawn out and uncertain. This image reflects the speaker’s anticipation of the moment when they will finally be reunited with the loved one.
“That opening, letting in, lets out no more.”
Once the door to the afterlife opens, it will never close again, implying that the souls who pass through it are permanently united. This idea reinforces the speaker’s longing for eternal togetherness. The finality of the phrase “lets out no more” suggests that death, while painful, offers a promise of a lasting, unbreakable connection beyond the material world.
‘yet come to me in dreams, thta i may live
My very life again tho’ cold in death’
shows immortality of memory, heaven gives immortal life
memory is more permenant that the impermenance of life
his line suggests that although the speaker may feel emotionally “cold in death” due to the loss of their beloved, dreams can revive them. Dreams allow the speaker to feel alive once more, reawakening the warmth of love that has been lost in waking life. The juxtaposition of “life” and “cold in death” reflects the paradox of finding vitality in a state of mourning.
significance of dreams last stanza
suggests memory is immortal amidst impermenance of life
‘pulse for pulse, breath for breath’
-plosive sounds disrupt gentle tone (urgency and imagrey of pulse and breath: signifies sudden awareness of physical existence, could also reflect desire for physicfal contact with lover/god)
‘death’ ‘breath’ rhyme
rhyming opposites- represents instability of boundaries between life and death
meter
The iambic pentameter creates a melodic nature of the poem, and like the rhyme scheme also enhances the theme of an echo.
enjambment
he continuation of phrases across lines, flowing,ethereal rhythm. Mirroring memories, flowing leads on from life to dream, two states intertwined
rhyme scheme
regular rhyme scheme: lyrical and soothing
“As long ago, my love, how long ago!”
Analysis: The repetition of “long ago” underscores the distance in time since the beloved was present. The speaker’s use of “my love” conveys a deep affection, but also a sense of lament for the passage of time and the loss of what once was. The speaker’s memory of this love remains vivid, yet the repetition highlights the pain of its absence.
structure
he poem’s use of sestets (six-line stanzas) lends a sense of completeness to each stanza, while the repetition of this form creates a cyclical and reflective feeling, appropriate for a poem dealing with themes of memory, longing, and return. This structure emphasizes the speaker’s desire for a lost love to return, which is central to the idea of an “echo”—something that repeats but is never fully restored.
narcissus myth
greek myth where echo was condemned to partial silence when she betrayed hera by having an affair with zeus
echo falls in love with narcissus but cannot communicate it as she can only echo the last words of his own speech, he falls in love with his won reflection
(story of unrequited love)
