The word “shade” appears three times within the first 11 lines in Thomas Gray’s poem. On each occasion, shade links to something pleasant. In Line 4, the speaker capitalizes the word shade since they use it in the context of King Henry VI and the Windsor Castle. Here, shade is “holy” (Line 4). In Line 8, shade is a part of the idyllic landscape and joins the commendable company of grass, flowers, and the historical River Thames. Finally, in Line 11, the “pleasing shade” joins the “happy hills” to create a peaceful, positive image.

For the speaker, shade symbolizes protection. The shade preserves the wondrous world of Eton College and guards against the toxic, adult environment. At the same time, shade symbolizes ignorance and impermanence as it cannot last forever. Even if the shade helps the children stay blissfully unaware of “ills to come” (Line 53), the shade, is a temporary state, like childhood itself. No longer protected nor ignorant, the children must eventually find out that “they are men!” (Line 60) and see the harsh light of knowledge.