Echo

• Structure

  
  

  • 3 stanzas : varying line lengths.

  • ABAB : first stanza.

  • ABCB : second stanza.

  • AABB : third stanza.
• Theme One - Longing & Loss

  
  

  The speaker deeply longs for the return of a loved one who has passed away.

  
  

  The repeated calls of "Come to me" emphasize the speaker's yearning.
• Theme Two - Memory & Nostalgia

  
  

  The poem reflects on memories ("O memory, hope, love of finished years") and the desire to relive the past through dreams.
• Theme Three - Transience Of Life

  
  

  The reference to Paradise and the idea of returning in dreams suggest a contemplation of mortality and the fleeting nature of life and love.
• Symbolism

  
  

  {Echo}

  The mythical figure of Echo from Greek mythology, cursed to only repeat the last words spoken to her, symbolises the speaker's repetitive longing and inability to move on.

  
  

  {Dreams}

  Dreams represent a realm where the speaker can temporarily escape the harsh reality of loss and experience a semblance of closeness with the departed loved one.
• Tone - Melancholic & Reflective

  
  

  The tone is melancholic, reflecting the speaker's grief and longing.

  
  

  Words like "tears," "thirsting," and "cold in death" evoke strong emotional imagery.
• Imagery - Romantic

  
  

  "soft rounded cheeks" & "eyes as bright / As sunlight on a stream"

  • Rossetti employs romantic imagery to evoke the beauty and tenderness of the beloved.
• Simile

  
  

  " sunlight on a stream"

  • Rossetti uses similes to enhance the imagery and evoke specific emotions.

  • It not only paints a vivid picture but also suggests warmth, clarity, and natural beauty.
• Metaphor - Echo

  
  

  The metaphorical use of Echo as a symbol for the speaker's repetitive longing and the impossibility of true reunion adds depth to the poem's exploration of loss and memory.
• Context

  
  

  • Greek Mythology : 'Echo' was a nymph who helped Zeus commit adultery.

  • Rossetti's changing religious beliefs {incl. afterlife}.