The Ecchoing Green: Plot

Plot

Commencement of the day: The poem opens with a description of the sun rising and the arrival of the joyful company. Every person, young and old, gathers on the echoing green. The green landscape echoes with the lively noise of activities.
Role of Old John: Old John, with white hair, acts as a passive observer of the scene, providing a mature perspective. His role is significant as he binds together the different phases of life with his reminiscences of youth and his interactions with the younger generation.
Actvities: The children play a variety of games under the supervision of their mothers. Bells ring, birds sing, and there is a sense of communal harmony. The day is personified, adding vitality to the setting.
Onset of evening: The poem ends with evening drawing in, and the community heading home. The green is no longer echoing with youthful play. Instead, it gives way to quiet under the darkening sky.

The Ecchoing Green: Represents an idealised and romanticised vision of rural life. It is a place where joy, community, and a simple engagement with nature define existence.
Old John: His presence underscores the cyclical nature of time, a common theme in Blake’s works. His observations serve to provide links between the past, present, and future.
The Ring: The children are described as making a ring; the ring symbolises continuity and eternity, a motif that alludes to the cyclical motion of life and time.
The Sun: The sun is personified and presented as a quiet observer which commands the day, signifies life, joy, vitality, and the passage of time.