Analysis of 'Echo'

'Echo' is a lyric poem, composed by Christina Rossetti in 1854, and published in the compilation 'Goblin Market and Other Poems' in 1862.

Synopsis

In 'Echo', the speaker is calling a lost loved one back to them. It is implied that the speaker is dead ("tho' cold in death"), and wants their loved one to visit them in their dreams so that they may relive the 'love of finished years'.

Themes

Longing
The main theme of 'Echo' is longing. This is expressed throughout the poem, and can be seen right from the outset with the repetition of the word 'Come'. Over the course of the poem, the speaker makes clear their desire for the return, at least in memory, of their loved one. Longing is further expressed by way of the repeated call to the speakers loved one, no matter whether they will hear or not, the speaker continues to call.

Echoes
While being the titular concept, the word 'echo' is never said outright in the poem. Despite this, the titles relevance is displayed through the repetition of the poem's voice. However, it serves as a stark and depressing revelation to the speaker. A revelation that despite all of their efforts to be heard, all that they will ever hear is the echo of their desires, implying that they will never be fulfilled.

Imagery & Symbolism

Eyes
In the poem, there are a few occasions in which the speaker mentions 'eyes'. This is a relevant concept because, while the speaker is implied to be dead (either literally or metaphorically), the eyes are often referred to as the 'window of the soul'.
In line 3, the speaker refers to "eyes as bright, as sunlight on a stream". This is a youthful, alive image, presumably a juxtaposition to the 'eyes' of the speaker. It is also a typical technique of Rossetti to refer to nature and natural beauty. This can be seen in many of her poems. The running theme of 'echoing is referenced again in the image of a sunlit stream, in which it is common to see your reflection. This could be interpreted as a sort of 'visual echo'.

Water
Water is referenced several times in this poem, taking several different forms over its course

• The Stream - As well as the 'visual echo' metaphor contained within the image of the sunlit stream, images of tranquillity, peace and steady movement are conveyed.
• Tears - The speaker requests that their lover come back to them "in tears". Aside from the obvious connotation of sadness or grief, tears can also signify deep, heartfelt emotion.
• 'Brimful' - This term, meaning overflowing, is often associated with water. The speaker uses it to describe the souls in paradise as being 'brimful of love'. This is an image of abundance, perhaps something the speaker feels will be appealing or inviting to their loved one.

Language & Tone

Uncertainty/Confusion
While the speaker claims to be in a 'paradise', this seems as though a farce or lie. The speaker feels that without their loved one, no matter where they are it will still be a cold, lonely place. This uncertainty is more clear towards the end of the poem. This is done by the speaker, when they, almost beg, the addressed to "come to me in dreams, that I may live". This shows that the longing that the speaker has produces some incredibly strong feelings, however, these feelings could be interpreted as nonsensical or distorted.

Oxymoron
The use of oxymoron is one way in which Rossetti expressed the uncertainty or confusion of the speaker. Examples of oxymoron in the poem include: 'speaking silence', 'bitter sweet' and, in the last stanza the concepts of 'life' and 'death' are paired.

Repetition/'Echo'
Repetition is found throughout the poem. The structure of the poem itself is representative of echoes and how they are produced and bounce back. This could have been utilised as a representation of the speaker attempting to simulate, or recall, some of the times had with their loved one.
Despite this, more positive, image, the repetition in the first stanza is more indicative of impatience, as well as the silence upon which the speaker's requests fall. The lack of response, and return of the sounds show that there is no one there to hear the speaker's pleas.

Sibilance/Alliteration
The first stanza contains an abundance of sibilance. The repeated 's' sounds create a hushed atmosphere. In the second and third stanzas, the alliteration of the sounds 'w' and 'l' helps the poem to flow better.

Assonance
The assonance of the 'ea' vowel sound throughout the poem is an apparent reference to the running theme of 'echoes' throughout the poem. Despite the fact that they do not all rhyme, the words: ‘speaking', ‘dream', ‘stream', ‘tears', ‘years', ‘death' and ‘breath' all share the same internal combination of vowels. This causes more of a visual echo than an auditory one.

Structure

Rhyme
This poem uses an ABABCC rhyme scheme, could be seen as reflective of the speaker's feeling or emotions. This idea of change and movement is exemplified in the fact that none of the rhymes are carried over to the next verse or stanza. Rossetti also uses rhyme to compare opposites. For example 'night' & 'bright', or 'breath' and 'death'.

Metre
The variety of metric form in the poem are indicative of the emotional changes the speaker goes through as they attempt to come to terms with the inevitability of their situation.