Imagery and metaphors

Poetic language is generally associated with the use of tropes or figures of speech designed to convey the poets’ message in an empathic, lyrical manner. The most important figures of speech in “The Echoing Green” by William Blake are imagery, metaphors, personification, and symbols.

Imagery

Imagery here refers to the use of descriptive words which create overall images in the reader's mind. In the poem, imagery related to nature and sounds of nature is developed in 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. (p. 202, ll. 1-8)

But you can also pay attention to the other two images created by the subsequent stanzas. In stanza two, the poet conveys an overall image of old people watching the children play and laughing with them, while in stan...