The Ecchoing Green: Poet & Context

The Ecchoing Green: Contextual Understanding

William Blake was a poet, artist and print-maker, often dwelling on the complex social and political challenges of his time. He was critical of industrialisation, social injustices and organised religion.
Blake’s work reflects his belief in the immense potential of the human spirit being stifled by restrictive constructs of society.

Blake uses the narrator’s voice from both childlike and elderly perspectives, capturing the spectrum of life experiences.
He uses contrasted states of innocence and experienced to display his worldview, with ‘The Ecchoing Green’ representing the state of Innocence.

Poems within the Songs of Innocence, such as ‘The Blossom’ and ‘The Lamb’, offer a similar viewpoint of a joyous and harmonious world, and can be viewed in comparison with ‘The Ecchoing Green’. They all express the freely joyful nature of innocent play and companionship, untainted by the burdens of the real world.
These poems can also be contrasted with their counterparts in Songs of Experience, such as ‘London’ and ‘The Tyger’, which depict a more reality-bound, harsher view of life.

Blake was not a follower of any established church, but had his own, individualistic spiritual beliefs.
The influence of Christian imagery can be seen in ‘The Ecchoing Green’, especially with representations of heavenly joy and peace.

Blake’s works often evolve against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution, which resulted in major shifts in economy, society and culture, often sidelining human joy, freedom and natural harmony.
This is indirectly depicted in ‘The Ecchoing Green’, where a utopian pre-industrial world is portrayed in contrast to the harsh realities of an industrialized society.