The Lake Isle of Innisfree William Butler Yeast Introduction To The Poem

The Lake Isle of Innisfree
- William Butler yeast
Introduction to the poem
This poem is a lyric. It is a musical poem. It explores the poet’s longing for the peace and tranquility
of Innisfree, a place where he spent a lot of time as a boy. Innisfree is the name of a place. It is a very
quiet place and that is the reason the poet wants to go there. He had spent his childhood in this
place. He has very sweet memories of that place, that is why he wanted to go back to the lake island
of Innisfree.
Literary Devices in the poem
1.Rhyme Scheme: abab
2.Alliteration: The repetition of a consonant sound in two or more closely placed words is called
alliteration. The instances of alliteration in the poem are –
‘hive’, ‘honey bee’ - ‘h’ sound is repeated;
‘lake’, ‘lapping’, ‘low’ - ‘l’ sound is repeated
3.Repetition: ‘I will arise and go now’ is repeated in stanza 1 and 3
4.Personification: cricket sings, veils of morning (morning is personified)
5.Metaphor: veils of morning (fog/ clouds are compared to veils)
6. Imagery: a small cabin build there, evenings of linnets’ wings, stand on the pavement, hive for the
honeybee
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.
Question and 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).
A. Innisfree is a beautiful island full of natural beauty, peace and calmness.
(i) The three things that the poet wants to do when he goes to Innisfree are as follows –
a) he wants to build a small cabin with clay and wattles.
b) he wants to plant nine rows of beans.
c) he wants to keep a honeybee hive.
(ii) The poet sees the cloudy morning which looks like the sky is wearing a veil. He hears the song of
the cricket. He sees the linnet birds flying in the evening sky. The shimmering stars in the night sky
and the purplish glow of the afternoon Sun. All these give him peace.
(iii) Even when the poet is far away from Innisfree, he hears the low sound of the lake water hitting
the shore in the depth of his heart.
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.)
A. The poet describes lake Innisfree as a place full of the bounties of nature. He sees the cloudy sky,
the shimmering stars in the night sky, the purplish glow of the afternoon Sun and the linnet birds
flying in the evening sky. The sound of the cricket’s song is also pleasing to him. On the other hand,
the place where he stands now is an urban place which is devoid of all these beauties of nature. He
says that there are roadways and grey – coloured pavements around him lacking beauty and peace.
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?
A. Innisfree is both a place and a state of mind. Innisfree is a place that the poet used to visit in his
boyhood. As he lives in the city now, he is far away from the natural beauty and expresses a desire to
go to Innisfree which had peaceful surroundings. This shows his state of mind. Yes, he misses lake
Innisfree when he says that the low sound of the lake water hitting the shore echoes in the core of
his heart.
II. 1. Look at the words the poet uses to describe what he sees and hears at Innisfree
(i) bee-loud glade
(ii) evenings full of the linnet’s wings
(iii) lake water lapping with low sounds
What pictures do these words create in your mind?
i) We can imagine an open space filled with bees buzzing around.
(ii) The image of linnets flying across the evening sky making leasing sounds appears in the reader’s
mind.
(iii) These words draw an image and also, create the soft sound of the lake water striking against the
shore of the lake.
2. Look at these words;
... peace comes dropping slow

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings
What do these words mean to you? What do you think “comes dropping slow...from the veils of the
morning”? What does “to where the cricket sings ”mean?
A. These lines indicate that the feeling of being ‘at peace’ seeps in slowly and gradually. As one
sees the cloudy morning which is followed by the pleasant song of the cricket, the poet gains
peace of mind. These vibrant sounds and scenes of nature bring a feeling of peace as
experienced by the poet.
Extra Questions:
1.Why does the poet want to go to Innisfree?
Ans. The poet wants to go to Innisfree in search of peace. He does not like the noisy place as London
is. The poet craves for some peace and hence he wants to go to Innisfree. There he wants to make a
small cabin and grow beans. He wants to live there alone.
2. How is the city life different from the life at the Lake of Innisfree?
Ans: The poet does not like the city life. The pavements are dull and grey. There is chaos all around in
England. But there is nature's beauty in Innisfree. It is like a dream place for the poet that actually
exists in reality. There is a perfect harmony on the island between the plants and the weather.
3. What is the tone of the poem?
Ans. The poem has a very calm and relaxing tone. The reader may very well imagine a person
physically going to this place called Innisfree. Infact the narrator of the poem is also visiting this place
in his imagination. It helps him to relax and escape the rush of modern living.

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The Lake Isle of Innisfree

- William Butler yeast

Introduction to the poem

Literary Devices in the poem

1.Rhyme Scheme: abab

‘hive’, ‘honey bee’ - ‘h’ sound is repeated;

‘lake’, ‘lapping’, ‘low’ - ‘l’ sound is repeated

3.Repetition: ‘I will arise and go now’ is repeated in stanza 1 and 3

4.Personification: cricket sings, veils of morning (morning is personified)

5.Metaphor: veils of morning (fog/ clouds are compared to veils)

Question and Answers

1. What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about:

a) he wants to build a small cabin with clay and wattles.

b) he wants to plant nine rows of beans.

c) he wants to keep a honeybee hive.

(i) bee-loud glade

(ii) evenings full of the linnet’s wings

(iii) lake water lapping with low sounds

What pictures do these words create in your mind?

i) We can imagine an open space filled with bees buzzing around.

2. Look at these words;

... peace comes dropping slow

1.Why does the poet want to go to Innisfree?

3. What is the tone of the poem?

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