Illustrations and Poetry by William Blake

Paper Summary:

In this paper, the two illustrations for the poem 'The Echoing Green' reflect the story that Blake is telling about the human life cycle. However, as this paper reports, he deviates from the text in the second illustration to tell the point of view of the Old John or of the symbolic Tree of Life, which could not be adequately explained within the last verse. By using illustrations to give a deeper beauty to the poem, Blake uses his drawings and paintings to help tell other aspects of his stories through visual presentation that reside outside of the written text.

From the Paper:

"The aim of this literary study is to analyze the accompanying art for the poem: "The Echoing Green" by William Blake. By understanding how Blake used his skills in the lithographic arts, one can realize how the pictures alongside this poem help to give vitality and plot support for the written text. In essence, William Blake uses two illustrations to help give this poem greater meaning, and correctly accentuates the limitations that words alone may not offer. In "The Echoing Green" one can see a great variety of natural symbols, which can help the viewer realize that Blake is seeking immortality through youth. The poem takes place on a green lawn or sward, which has children playing about with their mothers."

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• Poem Review # 128492 : "William Blake's "Biblical Criticism"

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