"The Echoing Green" by William Blake

 "The Echoing Green"  by William Blake

The sun does arise,  

And make happy the skies.  

The merry bells ring  

To welcome the Spring.  

The sky-lark and thrush,  

The birds of the bush,  

Sing louder around,  

To the bells’ cheerful sound.  

While our sports shall be seen  

On the Echoing Green.

Old John, with white hair  

Does laugh away care,  

Sitting under the oak,  

Among the old folk.  

They laugh at our play,  

And soon they all say,  

‘Such, such were the joys.  

When we all girls & boys,  

In our youth-time were seen,  

On the Echoing Green.’

Till the little ones weary  

No more can be merry  

The sun does descend,  

And our sports have an end:  

Round the laps of their mothers,  

Many sisters and brothers,  

Like birds in their nest,  

Are ready for rest;  

And sport no more seen,

On the darkening Green.

Paraphrase of "The Echoing Green" 

Stanza 1.

The sun does arise,  

And make happy the skies.  

The merry bells ring  

To welcome the Spring.  

The sky-lark and thrush,  

The birds of the bush,  

Sing louder around,  

To the bells’ cheerful sound.  

While our sports shall be seen  

On the Echoing Green.

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEE

Paraphrasing:

Morning breaks and the sky brightens with light. Church bells ring out to

greet spring, and birds like larks and thrushes join in with joyful song. 

Children fill the green field with games and laughter, and the whole place

 feels alive with play.

Stanza 2.

Old John, with white hair  

Does laugh away care,  

Sitting under the oak,  

Among the old folk.  

They laugh at our play,  

And soon they all say,  

‘Such, such were the joys.  

When we all girls & boys,  

In our youth-time were seen,  

On the Echoing Green.’

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEE

Paraphrasing:

Under an old oak tree, Old John and other elders watch the children. They 

smile, remembering their own childhood games. They say the same

 happiness they feel now is what they once knew when they were young

 on that same green field.

Stanza 3.

Till the little ones weary  

No more can be merry  

The sun does descend,  

And our sports have an end:  

Round the laps of their mothers,  

Many sisters and brothers,  

Like birds in their nest,  

Are ready for rest;  

And sport no more seen,

On the darkening Green.

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEE

Paraphrasing:

As evening comes, the children grow tired and can play no longer. The

sun sets, and the fun ends. Sisters and brothers settle into their mothers’

arms, quiet and sleepy, like birds in a nest. The green field is calm now, 

with no more games to be seen.

Summary

The poem describes a joyful spring day when children play happily on the

 Echoing Green while birds sing and church bells ring. The elderly watch

 the children and fondly remember their own childhood. As evening arrives, 

the children become tired, return to their mothers, and the lively green

 becomes quiet and dark.

Theme

The poem's main theme is the joy of childhood and the natural cycle of

 life. It shows how happiness, youth, and play are followed by old age, 

rest, and the peaceful ending of the day.

Central Idea

The poem celebrates the happiness of childhood, the beauty of nature, 

and the passage of time. It reminds us that every stage of life has its 

own joy, and that childhood memories remain precious throughout life.

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