In “The Schoolboy” Blake takes on the persona of a young boy whose innocence and carefree childhood is being worn away by didactic tribulations. At first, the poem seems to continue in a similarly happy manner to “The Echoing Green”. By using the image of “a summer morn” in the first stanza, Blake creates a tranquil and untainted atmosphere, and descriptions such as “birds sing” and “the distant huntsman winds his horn” add an auditory element in an almost identical way to the previous poem. However the serene scene does not continue into the second verse, where the tone changes and Blake describes how having to go to school ruins such a beautiful day: “it drives all joy away”. The use of the word “drives” is quite strong and terminates the flowing nature of the previous verse, and the repetition of “a summer morn” allows one to contrast the two verses. From hence forward, “The Schoolboy” continues with a fairly negative tone, switching from the first person, “I drooping sit” to a more philosophical stance towards the end, “How shall we gather what griefs destroy?”. The stoical conclusion I feel demonstrates the implications of education, and shows that, “if buds are nipped”, one not only damages childhood but also runs the risk of establishing a long-term effect on the individual, later on in life.
Both poems use time to illustrate the changing nature of the individuals, but even this is performed in very different ways. The increasing darkness of “The Schoolboy” could be seen as representational of the changing seasons, adding to the aspect of the natural world in the poem, especially as the final verses use words such as “blossoms”, “summer”, “gather” and concluding with “blasts of winter”. However, in line with the destruction of youth, it could also be interpreted as the life of the schoolboy moving through its various stages and on into old age: “the mellowing year”. In the final few verses, the poem is twisted to alert the previous generation, who are now sending their children to school, and Blake even calls out to them: “O father and mother!”. This not only demonstrates that the poet is attempting to project the view that education destroys the beauty of childhood, but also that this poem is literally a forewarning, which perhaps questions its position in ‘Songs of Innocence’. On the other hand, ‘The Echoing Green’ seems perfectly suited for this collection, as the blissful scene is drawn throughout the poem, and time is only used to show the lives that have circulated around the green. The entire poem seems to be almost cyclical, as it begins with the line “the sun does arise” and concludes with the image of “the darkening green”. I feel that this does not only symbolize a single day but also the passage of time and the numerous children who have played on the green in years gone by.
The characterisation in the two poems is also dissimilar, as ‘The Echoing Green’ uses the “old folk”, especially the figure of “Old John” in order to illustrate the scene further. Blake even briefly describes these characters, “white hair…sitting under the oak” which demonstrates how integral to the image of the green these people are. The cycle of new generations around this seemingly eternal aspect of the village is portrayed through the eyes of these characters, who act as observers, and we learn how, in their youth-time, “girls and boys…were seen on the echoing green”. The blend of the old and young villagers portrays a real sense of community, and when combined with the description of the “skylark and thrush”, Blake manages to project a portrait of harmony and new beginnings. Indeed in the final stanza, the simile of the children being “like birds in their nest” shows the parallel between the human and the natural worlds. The personification of the skies and the “merry bells” also exemplifies the very individual aspect of the green. ‘The Schoolboy’ by contrast only uses characters that convey a very general image. The poet uses the first person in the initial and third stanzas to describe the discontent of the schoolboy, which perhaps demonstrates that it is a very personal issue for Blake, but apart from those verses, the schoolboy is not specific. There is a mention of “the little ones” and “a child” but otherwise images of nature and birds are used to portray the individuals: “how can the bird which is born for joy sit in a cage and sing?”. This could be because the poem is intended to put across an opinion, rather than be simply descriptive, but it certainly contrasts with the joyful ‘The Echoing Green’.
I feel that the happy atmosphere of the green is added to by the converging of the cultural and natural sounds. We are told that “the birds of the bush sing louder” and that the “merry bells ring”, and by adding an auditory element to the poem, Blake is able to enliven the scene. Also by using the blend of both human, such as “they laugh at our play” and the natural, a sense of harmony is created. Even the title demonstrates from the outset that this poem will appeal to our sense of sound, and use auditory aspects in the description of the green. The word “Echoing” also ties in with the theme of time, as it conjures an image of the noise of children playing in the past being reflected in a similar scene in the present. It is in the use of sound that makes this poem similar to ‘The Schoolboy’, which describes how “the huntsman winds his horn”, and even uses the practically identical image of “when the birds sing on every tree”, again combining man-made and natural noises. I feel that this is typical of Blake’s poetry, as appealing to as many senses as possible, a poem is able to be brought to life, and the reader is perhaps more likely to involve themselves with what is being written.
Therefore, although there are similar threads which are drawn through the two poems, their subjects are too diverse to really be paralleled. One might at first think, because of the genre they both belong to, that they will follow an analogous pattern, but this is soon dissolved by their themes. Only the language used, especially that of nature, and the use of auditory imagery is alike, but I feel that it is through their disparity that one is able to appreciate the qualities of each.
