The Lake Isle of Innisfree- Poem
I will
arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a
small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine
bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live
alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I
shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping
from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There
midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And
evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will
arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear
lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I
stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it
in the deep heart’s core.
About the Poet– William Butler Yeats is widely considered to be one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. He belonged to the Protestant, Anglo-Irish minority that had controlled the economic, political, social, and cultural life of Ireland since at least the end of the 17th century
The Lake Isle of Innisfree- Summary
The poet is reminded of his past, his
boyhood, when he visited the peaceful Lake Isle of Innisfree. He wants to go
there and says that he will live there all alone. He wants to build a small
cabin with clay and wattles. He would grow beans and get a honeybee hive for
honey to survive on.
The poet describes the peaceful natural
surroundings of the lake. He says that the scene of the cloudy mornings, the
shining stars, the glowing Sun and birds flying in the sky give him peace. He
feels relaxed to hear the pleasant sound of the cricket’s song.
The poet feels the urgency to go to the
lake Isle of Innisfree. In the depth of his heart, he can hear the sound of the
lake waters hitting the shore. It is as if the lake is calling him. He hears
the sound everywhere – either on the crowded roads or the grey – coloured
pavements of the city in which he lives. This indicates that he wants to escape
from the artificial life of the city into the peaceful surroundings of nature.
The Lake Osle of Innisfree- Question-Answers
1. What
kind of place is Innisfree? Think about-
i.
The three things the poet wants to do
when he goes back there (stanza-I)
ii.
What he hears and sees there and its
effect on him (stanza-II)
iii.
What he hears in his “heart’s core” even
when he is far away from Innisfree (stanza-III)
Ans:-
Innisfree is an ideal place for the poet, filled with beauty and peace and
blessed by Nature. A place he desperately yearns to go back to because it holds
the promise of peace.
i.
Ans:- The three things the poet wants to
do when he goes back to Innisfree are: build a small cabin for him out of clay
and wattles, plant nine rows of beans and have a hive for honeybees.
ii.
Ans:- The poet sees and hears mists that
appear to descend slowly from the skies, linnets flying back home at desk,
glowing and bright noon, and billions of twinkling stars that glimmer in the
night sky.
All of these affect the
poet profusely by making him feel peaceful and rousing a desire to head back to
Innisfree at the earliest, leaving his busy city life behind.
iii.
Even though far away from Innisfree, in
his heart’s core the poet can hear the sound of the lake water lapping up
against the shore. This sound he hears all day and all night, and even when he
stands on the roadside.
More Questions with answers
2. By now you may have concluded that Innisfree is a simple, natural place, full of
beauty and peace. How does the poet contrast it with where he now stands? (read stanza III)
Ans:- The poet attributes many natural characteristics to Innisfree, painting a vivid picture of colour, happiness, beauty and peace. In contrast the use of the colour ‘grey’ to describe the pavement on which he now stands, is singly enough to display that his present life is far from peaceful, is melancholic, is deprived of a colourful existence and that he gets nothing, not even peace in his life in the city.
3. Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the place of his boyhood days?
Ans:- Innisfree
represents both- a place of his childhood for the poet, which he remembers for
its natural beauty; and for the reader the poet may have tried to use Innisfree
as a symbol of that state of mind where the poet can escape to even while
sitting in a place of disquiet. Hence the poet talks of “arise and grow now”
mean that one can at any time withdraw into one’s imagination and meditation,
and find peace.
The poet does have happy memories
of Innisfree, where he spent his childhood days. He remembers the peace and
calm he felt in this place in nature’s cradle, so he does miss it a great deal.
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4. Look
at the words the poet uses to describe what he sees and hears at Innisfree.
i.
Bee-loud glade.
ii.
Evening full of the linnet’s wings
iii.
Lake water lapping with low sounds.
What pictures do these words create
in your mind?
Ans:-
i. Bee-loud glade:- small clearing that is abuzz with the sounds of bees.
ii. Evening full of the linnet’s wings:- Scores of linnets flying back home in the evening, as night approaches.
iii. Lake
water lapping with low sounds:- Water of the lake slowly brushing against the
lake’s shoreline as small waves form and disappears on its surface.
5. Look
at these words:
…
peace comes dropping slow
Dropping
from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings.
a. What
do these words mean to you?
Ans:-
These words paint the picture of a serene and tranquil place, untouched by
pollution, where the mist layers slowly descend as the morning arrives.
b. What
do you think “comes dropping slow… from the veils of the morning”?
Ans:- I think it means
the mist layers appear to be dropping down slowly as the veil of night is
lifted and the morning revealed.
c. What
does “to where the cricket sings” mean?
Ans:-
I think it means the low levels of the ground, specifically the grass, where
the crickets are usually found.
