There are two main groups of characters in the poem. The first is “the little ones” on the Echoing Green. They appear to be happy, spending the entire day playing. The second group of characters is Old John and “the old folk”. They are described to have “white hair” which would normally indicate old age and sadness, but in this case it adds to the purity and innocence of the setting. The old folk reminisce on their youth, when “they all, girls and boys, in their youth time were seen on the Echoing Green”. At the end of the day, the community is described as “many sisters and brothers”, indicating that the community is very close-knit, and like a family.
One of the main themes in the poem is that of nature. During the poem, it seems to be spring, as “the merry bells ring to welcome the spring” and “the skylark and thrush... sing louder”. The images of birds could symbolise freedom, therefore reflecting the openness and lack of constraints on this community. Moreover, the “echoing green”, which is the title, indicates a natural environment because of the connotations of the words green. The imagery of the sun, birds and greenery indicates a sense of freshness and vitality. Moreover, the greenery reflects the innocence and naivety of this poem. However, this innocence is compromised at the end of the poem when the Echoing Green is referred to as “the darkening Green”. The connotations of dark imply corruption and evil, possibly indicating a threat to the community. This can be interpreted in several ways. Firstly, this could imply a threat to the community spirit, possibly because of the Industrial Revolution which took place around the time this poem was written. The Industrial revolution led to a degradation of community values, as society became more materialistic and money-driven. Alternatively, the “darkening Green” could imply the literal darkening, due to pollution which was caused by industrialisation at the time.
Another prominent theme in this poem is the happiness of the children. They seem to be innocent and joyful, as they spend their day playing on the echoing green. This contrasts with Blake’s poetry from his Songs of Experience, for example, London, where infants have a “cry of fear”. The innocence of the children in the echoing green perhaps indicates Blake’s view of an ideal childhood, where children have the freedom to play and stretch their imaginations, rather than being constricted and forced to conform. This coincides with Blake’s views on the imagination: he particularly believed that children should be allowed to explore their imaginations rather than being exposed to negative experiences and losing their innocence. The cycle in the poem may refer to the birth of innocence, followed by its corruption, ending in the “darkening green”, a state of darkness and corruption.
Another theme in this poem is the cycle of life. The poem moves through the life cycle of an individual, starting with the birth of the children and their innocence, then moving on to growing up and old age, and finally finishing with the “darkening green” which in this instance refers to death.
Blake uses a variety of literary devices in his poem The Echoing Green. Positive sound imagery, such as “merry bells ring”, “the birds... sing louder” and “the bell’s cheerful sound” appeals to the reader’s senses to create a vivid and cheerful image of the setting. Similes are also used, such as “many sisters and brothers, like birds in their nest”. The use of this simile indicates a sense of harmony with nature by equating the community to birds. It also indicates a sense of warmth, protection and unity in the community, which makes it seem even more innocent and comforting. Another literary device used is repetition. The words “on the echoing green are repeated in lines 10 and 20, both of which are the last lines of their respective stanzas. This re-emphasises the harmony of the community with nature, which reinstates the idyllic image. However, in line 30, this line is twisted slightly, to indicate that perhaps the community is not as idyllic as it had previously seemed.
Blake’s poem discusses the idealism of a utopian society where childhood is valued, but the somewhat sinister end indicates that perhaps this will be corrupted, which reflects the reality of society during Blake’s time.
