Echo Worksheet

1)    Summarise the poem’s content briefly.
The poem ‘Echo’ is about the speaker whose gender is unclear longing to see a lost/dead loved one once again through the use of their dreams. This is shown through lines such as ‘silence of the night’ and silence of a dream.’ The poem is addressed to an absent individual who the speaker misses. The individual that the speaker misses is clear but acts as a metaphor for various things such as religion or God, a lover, memory etc. However it is clear that the individual is linked with the speaker through a strong bond of love.
2)    What tone is used by the speaker at the start with the imperative verb in in ‘come to me’?
The use of the imperative verb ‘Come’ at the start of the poem creates a direct address to the reader. The tone is commanding and acts as an order to the absent individual. The speaker is showing authority to highlight their desperation to see their loved one. By using a strong tone, the reader empathises the transgression of the line ‘in the silence of the night.’ To the speaker, the word ‘silence’ acts as a comfort place which they long for to contact their lover and create a clear communication between speaker and the reader.  
3)    In stanza 2 the speaker imagines paradise. What is it like? How does (s)he use poetic techniques to describe paradise. Explain the impression given by the language.
The paradise created by the speaker is first described as being ‘sweet’ but the progression of the word turns to ‘too bitter sweet’ which highlights the fact the paradise the speaker talks about has been corrupted and tainted. The repetition of the word ‘sweet’ suggests the speaker’s remembering the sensuality of the world. The modal verb ‘should’ in the line ‘should have been’ suggests that the paradise the speaker talks of is imperfect. 
Within the line ‘Watch the slow door’ the door acts as a metaphor for a barrier to another world or gates of heaven which separates the speaker and their loved one. It also shows how each individual is defined by love which links to Rossetti’s other poem Good Friday through ‘those women’ who wept for God.
4)    In the final stanza there is a change in the tone with the connective ‘yet’, how will the speaker’s problem be solved?
The final stanza acts as a turning point for the speaker through the word ‘Yet.’ The final stanza shows the change in the speaker’s emotions in case they can’t see their loved one again. The tone changes to create a sense of understanding for the speaker, this is shown as the word ‘live’ is emphasised through the use of enjambment. The speaker’s problem is suggested to be solved that they live their life again to gain the full potential of it. The line ‘My very life again’ hints at the thought of resurrection through dreams ‘cold in death.’
5)    What is the final impression of the speaker’s emotions?
The final impression we gather from the speakers emotions is that they feel regret over the loss of their loved one. The final line ‘how long ago’ is nostalgic which illuminates the speaker’s longing for a new connection through the use of dreams. Also the irregular rhythm pattern shown in the line ‘pulse for pulse, breath for breath,’ highlights the sensual need the speaker has. The silent sleepiness world acts as a pathway for the speaker and the absent individual.
6)    How does Rossetti use poetic techniques to shape her text and its meaning? Use the bingo card terms to explain three in some detail.
Through the use of poetic techniques Rossetti creates a personal and meaningful poem which holds many different interpretations. The use of present continuous tense intensifies the need the speaker has for their lost individual. The use of the words ‘thirsting’ and ‘longing’ shape the speaker’s desperation. Another poetic technique Rossetti uses is sensuality to express the speaker’s emotions and bond through love for her ghostly other. The line ‘pulse for pulse, breath for breath’ create an intimate feeling between the speaker and reader as it empathises the speaker’s emotional need.