It's nature poem by William Blake. He has presented human life in vicinity of nature and has painted the co-existence of natural and human world.

1. ─ William Blake

2. William Blake ─ William Blake was a 19th century
writer and artist who is regarded as a seminal figure of the
Romantic Age. Born in 1757 in London, England, William
Blake began writing at an early age. English engraver, artist,
poet, and author of exquisite lyrics in Songs of Innocence (1789)
and Songs of Experience (1794), The Marriage of Heaven And
Hell, The First Book of Urizen. But in his lifetime he was
generally neglected. His writings have influenced countless
writers and artists through the ages. He dies on 12 August
1827.

3. 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.’

4. 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.
─ William Blake

5. The poem starts at break of day with birds’ song and the ringing of church
bells. It ends with darkness coming down upon the green. At first, the children
are enthusiastic about their play. However, by the end of the day, they are tired
and only want to rest on their mother’s lap. When a man is born, he is close to
nature, without any cares and has lot of time for himself. As he grows up, he is
overburdened by worrisome situations. With growing old he gets rid of his
worries and troubles and take a break from the hectic pace life. Just like the
day comes to an end in the green, a man also cannot avoid death.

7. 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.
Spring is the season of bright sun shine,
green fields, blooming flowers. In the first
stanza poet presents a scene of a day of
springtime. In bright sun rays the sky is
looking bright as if happy. Church bells
are ringing to welcome the spring. Birds
like skylark and thrush are singing in the
bush. Birds are singing louder than
church bells. And on lush green field
children are seen playing happily. And it is
their voice that is echoing or resounding
across the field.
So through out the first stanza poet
creates a happy atmosphere by presenting
a picture of bright spring morning.

8. 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.’
In the second stanza some old people are seen who are talking and
laughing, sitting under oak tree. They seem to be in a light mood. They
laugh at children’s play as it reminds them of their happy childhood
when they used to play in this way on such green field.
Through this picture poet is also indicating the cycle of life.

9. 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.
Last stanza shows that children’s play
also comes to an end as they become
tired and go back to their home. And at
night all brothers and sisters gather
around mother’s lap to rest just as
birds do in their nest. With setting sun
darkness gradually covers up the field
and its green colour changes into
darkness.
It also implies that life like a sport also
ends as the darkness of death
descends.

10. This poem was included in Blake’s poetry collection known as The
Songs of Innocence. Hence the green is a metaphor for innocence.
Children play here in the lap of nature without any worries, for they
have not yet experienced the harshness of life. They are still under the
care and protection of their mothers. This means that after going
through the stages of innocence and of experience he has seen the
world both in its beauty and cruelty. He has learnt to take both the
joys and the sorrows that life offers in his path.

11. At a more subtle level, the poem is about the cycle of human
existence which is mirrored in nature. Like the sun rises and
spring comes, so does human life appears with the carefree joys of
childhood games. Setting of the sun indicates end of day as well
as of life.
The poem also presents contrast between innocence (the children)
and experience (the old folk).