The Lake Isle of Innisfree

About the poem

“The Lake Isle of Innisfree”, written by W.B. Yeats in 1888, is a twelve line poem composed of
three quatrains. It reveals the poet’s nostalgia for the peace and tranquility he enjoyed on
the Lake Isle during his childhood. This desire to lead a simple life on the quiet island also
presents the poet’s dislike for humdrum of life in cities and towns. So deep are the emotions
of the poet that he can hear the waves striking against the banks of the Lake in his mind.
“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” has the rhythm that makes you think about a tide. The imagery
that Yeats uses helps us to see the desire the speaker has for leading a quiet life. He lures us
into this tranquil desire and then we are suddenly reminded of reality. This happens in line
11 where it states, “While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey.”
If you dig deeper into the poem, you can see that it is about the love of nature. It is known
that Yeats was a man who loved nature and one of the leading poets of the Romantic Era. He
was also known for implementing Irish items into his poetry. Innisfree, therefore, is actually a
Gaelic word that means “Heather Island.”
Innisfree is also an island that can be found off the coast of Ireland. The island is known for
its natural beauty. The island is specifically located in County Sligo. Yeat’s maternal roots can be traced here. This fact confirms the reason why Yeats could identify with this part of the
country. This also proves the reason for this island as well as Ireland being closest to Yeat’s
heart and mind.

Explanation

The first stanza opens abruptly and shows that the poet has a strong desire to go to the
beautiful and calm Isle of Innisfree in the Lake Lough Gill in the County Sligo in Ireland. He
declares that he will get up and leave for Innisfree where he will build for himself a small
cottage with clay and twisted sticks. He would like to be self- sufficient. So he imagines a
garden with exactly nine rows of beans and honey from his own honeycomb. He wants to
lead a solitary life with bees buzzing loudly in the open glade, far away from the madding
crowd.
The poet wants to go to the Isle of Innisfree because he believes that he will enjoy complete
peace on the beautiful island. Life there is calm and slow paced unlike the life in a city. In this
island, peace remains from morning till evening when the cricket sings. In Innisfree, morning
is calm, midnight is bright with the glimmer of the stars and moon and the noon
time/midday has a bright, purple glowing light. The evenings on the island are made
beautiful by the fluttering wings of the linnets.
The poet reiterates (repeats) his initial desire to go to the Isle of Innisfree because such is his
nostalgia that he can hear the music produced by the waters of Innisfree all day and night.
When the poet stands on the cemented roads and cold, hard pavements in the midst of
traffic, he hears the sounds of the waves lapping on the shore, in the depths of his heart.

Comprehension Questions

Questions to be answered in 30-40 words.

a) How will the poet enjoy the night and the day?
Peace will come dropping slowly from the veils of the morning. The poet will also hear
the song of the cricket in the morning. He will watch the evening full of flying linnets.
At night he will enjoy seeing the noon purple glow and the glimmer of midnight.

b) How are the pavements different from the ‘The lake isle of Innisfree’?
The pavements are dull grey as the poet stands on the roadway. But Isle of Innisfree
and its surrounding are naturally beautiful.

c) What are the three things that the poet wants to do when he goes to the Isle of Innisfree?
The poet wants to build a small cabin of clay and wattles, plant beans in nine rows and
a hive for the honey bees.

d) What does the poet hear in his ‘heart’s core’ even when he is far away from Innisfree?
When the poet is standing on the roadway or the grey pavements in the city he can
hear the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore.

e) Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the
place of his boyhood days?
It is a place which is full of beauty and peace. The physical features of the place prove
that it is an actual place. The poet actually misses it. He has a deep desire to go to this
place and live there.

f) Where does the poet want to go and why?
The poet wants to go to the solitary and silent Isle of Innisfree in the Lake Lough Gill of
his native country, Ireland. He wants to go there because he is fed up with the restless,
noisy world of cities and feels strongly nostalgic about the life on the island which, by
contrast, will be a life of quietness and pleasure.

g) What kind of a life does the poet want to lead on the Lake Isle?
The poet wants to lead a life of serenity and contentment, away from the bustle and
loudness of urban life. He longs for living in a simple cabin made of clay and sticks. A
small piece of land with a few bean-rows and some honey fresh from the bee-hive will
be enough to satisfy his needs.

h) What kind of music will the poet enjoy on the Lake Isle of Innisfree?
On the Isle of Innisfree, the poet will enjoy the loud music of the bees and the mild
music of the waves striking against the shore.

i) How does the poet describe the mornings on the lonely island?
The poet describes the mornings on the lonely island to be very peaceful and quiet.
The atmosphere of the morning is hazy with fog or mist. Out of the hazy heavens,
peace comes on the land falling softly and noiselessly.

j) What does the poet imply by ‘....from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings’.
By this expression, the poet implies that the span of time from morning to evening is
full of peace on the Lake Isle of Innisfree. Here, quietness reigns supreme. The singing
of the cricket adds to the music of nature and can be enjoyed on this island.

k) How does the poet describe the midnight and the noon on the island?
Both the midnight and the noon on the island are visualized by the poet to be very
bright with only different hues of brilliance – the twinkling light of the moon and the
stars in the midnight and the bright purple shine in the noon.

l) What does the poet dream of enjoying in the evenings?
The poet dreams of enjoying the songs of the linnets and the sound of the flapping of
their wings as they fly back to their nests. He also hopes to enjoy the song of the
cricket in the peaceful surroundings.

m) What is it that fascinates the poet day and night?
Day and night the poet is fascinated by the gentle and pleasant sound of the waves
lapping against the shore. He hears this delightful music in his imagination as he
stands on the roadway or on the pavements in a city.

n) Why does the poet hear the music of the waves standing on the roadway?
The poet hears the music of the waves standing on the roadway because their gentle
and soothing sound is recalled involuntarily by his mind as a defence against the
deafening, and jarring sounds of the traffic that have an unpleasant impact on him.

o) What are the roadways and the pavements a symbol of?
The roadways and the pavements are a symbol of the urban, noisy, and crowded places
where the poet lived. They stand in contrast to the peaceful, soothing and colourful
elements of nature found on the Lake Isle of Innisfree.

p) Why is the music on the island made by the waves in the lake low?
The music made by the waves of the lake is low and gentle because it is a peaceful lake
and the waves are not very high. These waves hit against the shore very lightly
producing a mild music.

q) What do the ‘low sounds’ emphasize about the atmosphere on the Isle of Innisfree?
The low sounds emphasize the quiet, placid waves of the lake which strike against the
shore and produce a mild music. The impression of peaceful and calm atmosphere of
the Isle is enhanced by these sounds. Besides, they present a stark contrast to the
unpleasant sounds in the cities.

r) What pictures do the words expressing sights and sounds, as used by the poet, create in
your mind?
The poet uses ‘bee-loud glade’, ‘evenings full of linnet’s wing’, and ‘lake water lapping
with low sound to present the sights and sounds on Innisfree. These words evoke the
pictures of wide and open natural place that is full of beautiful sights, smells, colours
and music.

s) Why does the poet repeat ‘ I will arise and go now’?
The repetition of “I will arise and go now” emphasizes that the poet is extremely keen
on abandoning the city and leave for the quiet, idyllic atmosphere of the Lake Isle. The
use of ‘arise’ and ‘go’ reveal the intensity of his longing to escape from the restlessness
and noise of the cities and reach the harmony and serenity of the world of nature
available on the Lake Isle of Innisfree.

t) What does the poet hear in the deep heart’s core’? What is his reaction to it?
The poet hears the sweet and gentle music made by the placid waves of the lake
striking softly against the shore of the island. This music is so soft and powerful that
the poet hears it in the core of his heart. It triggers in him a keen desire to go to the
island of Innisfree and enjoy this melody amidst a harmonious environment.

Questions to be answered in 100-150 words.

a)How does the poet capture the sights and sounds of the Lake Isle of Innisfree?
The poet, W.B. Yeats, had spent many summers during his childhood on the Lake Isle
of Innisfree. His memories are so vivid that the sights and sounds seem to have left an
indelible impression on his mind. He beautifully portrays the vast, open stretch of land
with a very tranquil environment prevailing from morning till evening. The midnight is
aglow with the glimmering of the moon and the stars. The noons are bright with
purplish light. In the evening, the linnets, fluttering their wings in flight make a very
captivating sight. The Lake Isle of Innisfree echoes with the alluring, soothing music of
the insects, birds and waves. The bees buzz loudly and there is a soft music of the
waves striking gently against the shore, day and night. Thus, the sights and sounds
described by the poet make the island an enthralling and alluring place.

b) How does the poet contrast the city life with the life in natural surroundings?
Although the poet does not describe the city life in detail, his obsession to go to the
beautiful island full of pleasing sights and sounds makes it clear that he wants to leave
the noisy life in the city and lead a simple life. The contrast between the crowded cities
and the calm, natural surroundings of Innisfree justifies his desire. The description of
green glades and pastures, along with birds and insects singing on Innisfree stand in
contrast to the dull looking roadways and pavements that are full of vehicles and
people. This contrast hints at the noise pollution and congestion in cities. Further, the
picture of the island surrounded by the calm water of the lake and its gentle waves
present a beautiful sight. The poet’s urge to return to natural surroundings for a
peaceful life hints at the problems and restlessness of people in cities.

c) What ideas do you form of the personality of the poet from the poem? Or Discuss the
character of the speaker in the poem.
The poet’s desire to return to a peaceful, quiet, and natural place, away from the bustle
of urban life, brings forth the positive values that govern his life. In the poem he
emerges as a peace-loving person who is troubled by the hectic, restless, noisy and
materialistic life of the cities. He emerges as a profound lover of natural beauty and
tranquility. His strong nostalgia for the beautiful sights and sounds on the Lake Isle and his desire to lead a simple life of solitude and peace on the island reveal the
simplicity of his heart and mind.
The poet is endowed with profound imagination and sensitive observation. With very
keen senses, he sees, observes and presents the beauty of the island in the morning, in
the noon time, in the evening, and even in the midnight. He can hear the sounds of the
bees, the cricket, the linnet, and the sea-waves. He can visualize the tranquil glade, the
glimmering light of the midnight and the purple glow of the afternoon.
Further, the poet lacks materialistic attitude towards life. He wants to evade the hectic
activities of the materialistic life of the cities and live in a small cabin and wants to
have only enough to full the basic needs of life.

d) How can we make our lives peaceful and enjoyable? Discuss with reference to the poem-
‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’.
The world is full of beauty and pleasures. It has a rich feast for our eyes, ears, noses
and tongue. God has provided us with the beautiful sights and sounds. But it is
regrettable that we have only added misery into our lives by being blind to the
beauties of the world. We have become much too materialistic and are always lost in a
race for more and more riches. We do not have time to calmly enjoy the beauties of
nature. We should develop a keen sense to perceive the beauty all around and spare
time to enjoy these splendours.
We must realize that contentment is a source of real happiness. We must curtail our
greed, jealousy and hatred. A life of simple needs, near the beautiful surroundings of
nature away from the madding crowd of cities can give us soothing delights. Love for
nature, faith in God, and affection for fellow human beings can restore the peace of
our minds and overpower all the sorrows of life and make life peaceful and enjoyable.

e)The Isle of Innisfree is both a place and the poet’s state of mind. Discuss.
The Isle of Innisfree is a tiny uninhabited island within the Lake Lough Gill in County
Sligo in northwestern Ireland. The poet, William Butler Yeats, had spent his summers
there when he was a young boy. The calm, quiet, soothing environment of this Isle
impressed him so much that he developed a spiritual kinship with this place. He can
now hear voices calling within himself just as he heard the sounds of nature in
Innisfree. The existence of Innisfree as the poet’s state of mind is as true as the real
Innisfree. The images of this place haunt the poet in such a manner that he can
visualize everything not in his mind but in his heart. The real place has given him such
beautiful memories that he cherishes them even when he is amidst the roadways and
pavements of a city. His desire to escape to Innisfree is so strong that his thoughts are overpowered by it. Thus, the poet’s state of mind itself is Innisfree which stands as a
symbol of peaceful existence amidst nature.

Answers to Text book questions

1. (i) The poet wants to build a small cabin with clay and twisted sticks, plant nine rows
of beans and have a beehive. He wants to live there alone in the open place.
(ii) He draws peace and tranquillity by listening to the crickets' sound, watching the
glimmering midnight, the afternoon with purple glow and the linnets flying in the
evening.
(iii) Even when he is far away from Innisfree, he hears the sound of the lake water
washing the shore in his ‘heart's core’.

2. The poet contrasts the simple, natural and peaceful Innisfree to the urban setting.
The poet depicts Innisfree in gorgeous dreamy light, such as ‘purple glow’, ‘glimmer’,
and in vibrant sounds, such as cricket's song and buzzing of the bees. On the other
hand, he depicts the place where he now stands, i.e. the roadways or pavements, as
‘grey’, lacking beauty and peace.

3. Although Innisfree is the poet's childhood haunt, it also represents his state of mind.
The poet wishes to escape to Innisfree as it is more peaceful than where he is now-the
city. Innisfree is representative of what the poet considers an ideal place to live, which
is devoid of the restless humdrum of his life.
Yes, the poet actually misses the place of his childhood days. Even when he is away
from Innisfree, he recalls the sound of the lake water washing the shore.

PRACTICE SHEET

Q1 Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

(a) I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

And a small cabin built there, of the clay and wattles made;

Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee,

And live alone in the bee – loud glade.

i. Who is ‘I’ in the stanza and where does he want to go?

In this stanza ‘I’ is the poet W. B. Yeats himself. He wants to go to the Isle of

Innisfree located in Lake Lough Gill, marked by calm and serenity.

ii. How does ‘I’ plan to survive on Innisfree?

The poet plans to build a small cabin of clay and wattles, cultivate a small piece of

land where he would grow beans in nine rows and have honey from his own

beehive.

iii. What kind of a life does he want to lead?

He wants to lead a simple, solitary life on a lonely island, where noise pollution and

crowds do not exist. He strongly wishes to escape to this island echoing with the

music of the bees.

iv. Give the meaning of the word ‘Glade’?

a clearing in the forest

(b) 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 evenings full of the linnet’s wings.

i. How has morning been personified in ‘the veils of morning’?

Morning has been personified as a woman with her face covered by a thin veil. The

early morning fog or mist forms the veil that covers her face.

ii. How does the poet present the midnight and the noon on the island?

The poet presents the midnight on the island as beautiful with the glimmer of stars

and the noon time as glowing and purple in colour.

iii. What is fascinating especially about the evenings on the island?

The evenings on the island are especially fascinating because of the delightful

linnets fluttering their wings to fly across as the sun sets.

iv Give the meaning of the word ‘glimmer’.

shine

(c) I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear the 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.

i. What makes the poet desirous of going to Innisfree?

The beauty, sounds and life at the Lake Isle of Innisfree beckon the poet. Strong

memories of the place in his mind, together with the humdrum of the city life

make him desirous of going there.

ii. Why are the sounds of the lake low?

The sounds of the lake are low because it is quiet and placid. Its waves strike

gently against the shore and the music thus produced is mild and low.

iii When does the poet hear the music of the waves?

The poet hears the music of the waves when he stands on the concrete roadways

or pavements in the midst of traffic and crowds of people.

iv. What does the word ‘grey’ symbolize here?

The word ‘grey’ refers to the cement and concrete that cities are made of. It

symbolizes dullness and lifelessness and is in contrast with the beautiful colours at

the Lake Isle of Innisfree.

Q2 Answer the following questions in 30 -40 words.

(a) What are the three things that the poet wants to do when he goes to the Isle of

Innisfree?

The poet wants to build a small cabin of clay and wattles, plant beans in nine rows

and a hive for the honey bees in the lake isle of Innisfree.

(b) What are the roadways and the pavements a symbol of?

The roadways and the pavements are a symbol of the urban, noisy, and crowded

places where the poet lived. They stand in contrast to the peaceful, soothing and

colourful elements of nature found on the Lake Isle of Innisfree.

(c) Why does the poet repeat ‘I will arise and go now’?

The repetition of “I will arise and go now” emphasizes that the poet is extremely

keen on abandoning the city and leave for the quiet, idyllic atmosphere of the Lake

Isle. The use of ‘arise’ and ‘go’ reveal the intensity of his longing to escape from

the restlessness and noise of the cities and reach the harmony and serenity of the

world of nature available on the Lake Isle of Innisfree.

(d) What does the poet hear in the deep heart’s core’? What is his reaction to it?

The poet hears the sweet and gentle music made by the placid waves of the lake

striking softly against the shore of the island. This music is so soft and powerful

that the poet hears it in the core of his heart. It triggers in him a keen desire to go

to the island of Innisfree and enjoy this melody amidst a harmonious environment.

Q3 Answer the following questions in 100-150 words.

(a) How has the poet W. B. Yeats described Lake Innisfree?

The setting of the poem, Innisfree, was born of Yeats' childhood memories and

creative imagination. The poet W. B. Yeats grew up as a child on Ireland's

northwestern coast, a place of natural beauty. The description of Lake Innisfree in

the poem is far removed from an industrial city. It is beautiful; a place where one

could find peace. The specific details in the poem describe Innisfree as an escape

from the complexities of modern life where one could live in simple harmony with

the natural world.

He beautifully portrays the vast, open stretch of land with a very tranquil

environment prevailing from morning till evening. The midnight is aglow with the

glimmering of the moon and the stars. The noons are bright with purplish light. In

the evening, the linnets, fluttering their wings in flight make a very captivating

sight. The Lake Isle of Innisfree echoes with the alluring, soothing music of the

insects, birds and waves. The bees buzz loudly and there is a soft music of the

waves striking gently against the shore, day and night. Thus, the sights and sounds

described by the poet make the island an enthralling and alluring place.

(b) What do we learn about the character of the poet from the poem –‘ The Lake Isle of

Innisfree’

The poet W. B. Yeats gives us a peep into his mind and soul through the poem –

‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’.

His desire to return to a peaceful, quiet, and natural place, away from the bustle of

urban life, brings forth the positive values that govern his life. In the poem he

emerges as a peace-loving person who is sick of the hectic, restless, noisy and

materialistic life of the cities. He emerges as a profound lover of natural beauty

and tranquility. His strong nostalgia for the beautiful sights and sounds on the

Lake Isle and his desire to lead a simple life of unbroken solitude and peace on the

island reveal the simplicity of his heart and mind. The poet is endowed with

profound imagination and sensitive observation. With very keen senses, he sees,

observes and presents the beauty of the island in the morning, in the noon time, in

the evening, and even in the midnight. He can hear the sounds of the bees, the

cricket, the linnet, and the sea-waves. He can visualize the tranquil glade, the

glimmering light of the midnight and the purple glow of the afternoon. He can

also hear the loud, unpleasant sounds of the traffic in cities and contrast it with the

captivating and soothing music of the waves. Further, the poet wants to evade the

hectic activities of the materialistic life of the cities and live in a small cabin of clay

and wattles. He wants to have only enough to fill the basic needs of life.

(c) The Isle of Innisfree is both a place and the poet’s state of mind. Discuss.

The Isle of Innisfree is a tiny uninhabited island within the Lake Lough Gill in

County Sligo in north western Ireland. The poet, William Butler Yeats, had spent his

summers over here when he was a young boy. The calm, quiet, soothing

environment of this Isle impressed him so much that he developed a spiritual

kinship with this place. He can now hear voices calling within himself just as he

heard the sounds of nature in Innisfree. The existence of Innisfree as the poet’s

state of mind is as true as the real Innisfree. The images of this place haunt the

poet in such a manner that he can visualize everything not in his mind but in his

heart. The real place has given him such beautiful memories that he cherishes them

even when he is amidst the roadways and pavements of a city. His desire to escape

to Innisfree is so strong that his thoughts are overpowered by it. Thus, the poet’s

state of mind itself is Innisfree which stands as a symbol of peaceful existence

amidst nature.