Ecocritical discourse analysis of The Echoing Green

Abstract

This study undertakes an ecocritical discourse analysis of William Blake’s The Echoing Green, using Arran Stibbe’s  ecolinguistic model as the theoretical framework. As environmental degradation and ecological disconnection intensify in the modern era, examining historical literary texts through an ecological lens has become a vital scholarly endeavor. Blake’s pastoral poem, rooted in Romantic traditions, is revisited here not merely as a literary artifact but as a linguistic ecology that encodes regenerative narratives about human-nature relationships. Stibbe’s model, outlined in Ecolinguistics: Language, Ecology and the Stories We Live By, offers a set of discourse features including framing, metaphor, evaluation, identity, and underlying ideology which are employed in this study to uncover the ecological meanings embedded in the poem.The analysis, conducted qualitatively through close textual reading, reveals that it constructs a pastoral-regenerative ecological story where nature is framed as an active, nurturing presence and human life is harmoniously situated within natural rhythms. Blake’s linguistic choices foreground themes of intergenerational continuity, ecological empathy, and the cyclical nature of time, while erasing conflict, environmental degradation, or domination.The significance of this study lies in its demonstration that literary texts, especially Romantic poetry, can serve as vehicles for ecological consciousness when analyzed through contemporary discourse frameworks. The implications extend to environmental humanities, literary studies, and ecolinguistics, suggesting that reinterpreting canonical works can aid in the cultivation of environmental values aligned with ecological reciprocity and resilience. This research contributes to ongoing scholarly efforts to identify  “stories we live by” that support rather than undermine ecological integrity.