The Ecchoing Green: Structure & Language Techniques
The Ecchoing Green: Structure & Language Techniques
Structure
- The poem is divided into three stanzas, each representing a different time of day: morning, afternoon and evening.
- The consistent rhyme scheme ( AABB ) provides a sense of order and harmony, reflecting the natural cycle of the day.
Language Techniques
- Blake uses imagery extensively throughout the poem to create vivid pictures of pastoral life.
- The repeated reference to “green” underscores the vibrancy and liveliness of the natural environment.
- The “sun” and “skies” symbolise the passing of time and the cycle of life.
- The poem also employs onomatopoeia ( “the bells’ cheerful sound”) to mimic the vibrant sounds of the rural setting.
- Personification is used to imbue the nature with human-like qualities such as the “merry bells” and the “happy skies”.
- The alliteration in “our sports shall shine as they are wont to do” emphasises the ongoing nature of the activities described.
- There’s frequent use of exclamation marks, emphasising the joy and excitement inherent in the scenes depicted.