Laughing Song – William Blake

When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy,
And the dimpling stream runs laughing by;
When the air does laugh with our merry wit,
And the green hill laughs with the noise of it.

When the meadows laugh with lively green,
And the grasshopper laughs in the merry scene,
When Mary and Susan and Emily
With their sweet round mouths sing “Ha, Ha, He!”

When the painted birds laugh in the shade,
Where our table with cherries and nuts is spread,
Come live, and be merry, and join with me,
To sing the sweet chorus of “Ha, Ha, He!”

Laughing Song is a happy poem where everything in nature seems to laugh and enjoy itself. The woods, hills, meadows, streams, birds, and even the grasshopper look cheerful. Three girls—Mary, Susan, and Emily—also sing with joy. The poet invites everyone to join this world of laughter and share the fun by singing together.

Appreciation

William Blake’s Laughing Song is a joyful poem that celebrates the beauty of nature and the happiness it brings. The poet shows how everything around us—the woods, hills, meadows, streams, birds, and even insects—seems to laugh with life. The cheerful singing of Mary, Susan, and Emily adds to the bright, playful mood. The poem creates a picture of a world filled with innocence and happiness. Blake uses simple words, musical rhythm, and repetition to make the poem sound like a song. The repeated chorus “Ha, Ha, He!” makes the reader feel the joy of nature. The poem invites us to live happily and enjoy the small, beautiful moments around us.

Textbook Questions

1. Who is the speaker in the poem?
   The speaker is a happy person who enjoys nature and its joy.
2. What does the poet mean by “dimpling stream”?
   It means a stream that looks playful and bubbly, as if it is smiling or laughing while it flows.
3. How do the children express their happiness?
   The children show their happiness by singing “Ha, Ha, He!” together.
4. Why are the birds described as “painted”?
   They are called “painted” because they are brightly coloured and beautiful, like they are painted by an artist.
5. What does the poet ask us to do?
   The poet asks us to live happily, be merry, and join the joyful singing.
6. Why do you think the poem is titled Laughing Song?
   It is titled Laughing Song because everything in the poem—nature, birds, children—seems to laugh with joy, creating a world full of happiness.

Extra Questions

1. Who wrote the poem Laughing Song?
   It was written by William Blake.
2. What is the mood of the poem?
   The poem is full of happiness and joy.
3. What do the green woods do in the poem?
   They laugh with joy.
4. How does the stream move?
   The stream runs laughing by.
5. What does the air do?
   The air laughs with merry wit.
6. What laughs on the green hill?
   The noise of joy laughs on the hill.
7. How do the meadows look?
   They look lively and green.
8. Which insect laughs in the poem?
   The grasshopper.
9. Who are the three girls in the poem?
   Mary, Susan, and Emily.
10. What do the girls sing?
    They sing “Ha, Ha, He!”.
11. What do the painted birds do?
    They laugh in the shade.
12. What is spread on the table?
    Cherries and nuts are spread.
13. What does the poet invite us to do?
    He invites us to live and be merry.
14. What does the poet ask us to join?
    He asks us to join the happy group.
15. What does the poet want everyone to sing?
    The sweet chorus of “Ha, Ha, He!”.
16. What is the main feeling in the poem?
    The feeling of innocent joy.
17. Which season does the poem remind us of?
    It reminds us of a bright, cheerful season.
18. What does nature do in the poem?
    Nature joins in the laughter.
19. Why is the poem called Laughing Song?
    Because everything in the poem seems to laugh happily.
20. What is the poem mainly about?
    It is about joy in nature and people.

Assonance

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. It gives the poem a musical and smooth sound.

Here are some easy examples:

• “Green trees laugh with the voice of joy” – the long “ee” sound in green, trees.
• “Dimpling stream runs laughing” – the “i” sound in dimpling, stream.
• “Ha, Ha, He!” – the repeated “a” and “e” sounds.
• “Meadows laugh with lively green” – the “ea/ee” vowel sounds.
• “Mary and Susan and Emily” – the “a” sound in Mary, and, Susan.

Rhyme

Rhyme is a repetition of the same ending sound in two or more words. Poets use rhyme to make a poem musical, pleasant, and easy to remember. For example, in a poem, words like joy – boy or green – seen rhyme because they sound alike at the end.

• joy – by
• wit – it
• green – scene
• shade – spread
• me – “Ha, Ha, He!” (ending sound matches).

Personification

Personification is a poetic device in which the poet gives human qualities to non‑living things, animals, or nature. It makes the poem more lively and imaginative.

All these lines show nature acting like a human:

• “… the green woods laugh” – woods cannot laugh, but the poet imagines they do.
• “… the dimpling stream runs laughing by” – the stream is described as if it can laugh.
• “… the air does laugh” – air is given the human action of laughing.
• “… the green hill laughs” – a hill cannot laugh, but the poet makes it feel alive.
• “… the meadows laugh” – meadows are shown as joyful like people.
• “… the grasshopper laughs” – the insect is described as laughing.
• “… the painted birds laugh in the shade” – birds are imagined as laughing happily.