The Echoing Green Flashcards
1
Q
‘Sun does arise
And make happy the skies
the merry bells ring
To welcome the spring.’
A
- Blake showcases the positivity of childhood.
- Positive natural imagery, links to Blakes romantic beliefs.
2
Q
‘Skylark and thrush
The birds of the bush,
Sing louder around,
To the bells’ cheerful sound,’
A
- Semantic field of nature, representing merriment.
- Contrasting bird imagery to ‘The Schoolboy. The birds are free.
3
Q
‘Old John,’
A
- Common name which represents everyone.
4
Q
‘Sitting under the oak,’
A
- Connotations of oak: Strong, aged, shelter and wisdom.
5
Q
‘Laugh at our play,’
A
- Narrator is a child.
6
Q
‘And soon they all say:
‘Such, such were the joys
When we all, girl and boys,
In our youth-time were seen
On the echoing green.’
A
- ‘And soon they all say’: Past tense, touch of melancholy within the second stanza as the old people’s youth is over and now they watch youth from afar.
- Voice to the children & voice to old people.
7
Q
‘Round the laps of their mothers
Many sister and brothers,
Like birds in their nest,’
A
- Nurturing and warm parental relationship, Joy is the key to happy childhood.
- More bird imagery.
8
Q
‘On the darkening green.’
A
- Literal end of day.
- Ominous suggestion that there is darkness coming in the future, adulthood.
9
Q
Metaphorical meaning of Spring
A
- Birth, new life, new cycle.
