The Lake Isle of Innisfree: by William Butler Yeats

The Lake Isle of Innisfree
By William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats (13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939)

was an Irish poet, dramatist, prose writer and one of the
foremost figures of 20th-century literature. Yeats was
born in Sandymount, Ireland, and educated there and in
London. He was a Protestant and member of the Anglo-
Irish community. He spent childhood holidays in County
Sligo and studied poetry from an early age.
Overview
Innisfree is an island near his native place Sligo (Ireland) where W. B. Yeats had thought of retiring to steep his troubled
mind in the solitude of nature. Later on, while he was in London he one day caught sight of a London shop window
where a little ball was dancing on a jet of water. This sight reminded him of the enchanted island and inspired him to
write the poem.
Analysis
The poem highlights the close affinity of human being towards nature and natural phenomena. In the The poet is tired
of city life and he wants to spend rest of his life amidst nature. He believes that nature will provide him peace, stress-
free, carefree life which will be present in the lake Isle of Innisfree. The call of Innisfree is irresistible to him.
The poet decides to go to Innisfree, a little enchanted island in Lough Gill Sligo. He will build there a small hut of clay and
wattles. He will cultivate land to grow nine rows of bean, keep a bee-hive for honey and live alone in the clearing
resonant with the hum of bees.
He will have there the peace of mind he long longs for. This peace will slowly and imperceptibly descend on his mind
from the silence, solitude and natural charms of the dreamy island like dews falling imperceptibly from the sky and
settling on the grass. The song of the cricket will regale his ears in the morning. He will feast his eyes on the charming
beauty of Innisfree at midnight when it looks like a fairyland with the light of the moon and stars glimmering through the
mist. At noon the sun casts a purple glow (dull light) on the island, which invests it with a romantic charm. The flutter of
the wings of the linnet returning home in the evening produces a musical sound that thrills his mind with heavenly
pleasure.
The poet will go to Innisfree without delay, because he hears, day and night, the lake beating on the shore and making
gentle, splashing sounds. He even hears the murmur of the lake (water) in the innermost recess of his heart while he
stands on the busy roadway or on the macadam pavement of London. The call of the murmur of the lake is irresistible to
him. So he must arise and go to Innisfree. It is revealed by the end that the speaker dreams so intently about reaching
Innisfree because he lives in an environment that does not contain the natural elements that are critical to his
happiness.
Elements
Title The title of the poem refers to the place the poet longs to go to. An actual place in County Sligo,
Ireland, Innisfree has a deep fascination for the poet who visited this place time and again during his
young days. The fanciful title prepares us for the dreamy, picturesque place that the speaker
describes as Innisfree. It's not just any place. It's a grand place—the stuff of daydreams.
Setting This poem takes place on the city streets and poet is imagining himself to be at the island of Innisfree
Genre Nature poem
Tone The tone is dreamy, wistful because the speaker is longing for a place very different from the one (city)
he is living in.
Theme The poet engages with themes that include nature, peace, and spirituality. These three themes are all
interrelated. Yeats asks the reader to regard nature as he does, valuable in and of itself, without
human intervention.
Message  The poem conveys the message that a simple life amidst nature brings uninterrupted peace
and joy.
 A life of material comforts offered by cities is marred by noise, pollution, and crowds while
the life offered by nature is in harmony with the soul.
 Nature has magical qualities and offers an ideal way of living life
Literary Devices
Rhyme Scheme :
The poem consists of 12 lines, separated into 3 quatrains, and an abab cdcd efef rhyme scheme. Another way to arrange
the rhyme can be abab for each stanza.
Imagery :
Imagery is representation of something which draws on the five senses.
Visual Images (midnight’s all a glimmer, noon a purple glow)
Auditory Images (the bee-loud glade, the cricket sings, I hear lake
water lapping with low sounds by the shore)
Alliteration:
Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at close intervals. Alliteration makes a poem lyrical.
Examples:
a hive for the honeybee(here 'h' sound is repeatedly used)
the lake water lapping with low sounds(here 'I' and 'w' sounds are repeated)
Metaphor:
The metaphor is a figure of speech in which two, unlike objects, are compared by identification or by substitution of one
by another. It differs from a simile as in it, the words of comparison 'as' or 'like' are not used.
Example:
• veils of the morning. It is a metaphor for the clouds in the morning sky or maybe the fog of the early morning or mist,
or maybe even the dew on the morning grass. These could all appear like veils that are lifted once the sun rises.
Personification
A poetic device in which human traits are attributed to something abstract or non-living.
Example: the veils of the morning
Here morning is personified as a woman whose face is covered by a vell. The fog, mist or dew drops in the morning
atmosphere form the 'veil'.
Written assignment to be done in notebook
A.RTC
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 honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
1. What does the poet wish to build at lnnisfree ?
2. What does “lnnisfree” symbolise ?
3. Why does the poet wish to stay at lnnisfree ?
B. Short answer type questions

1. Why does the poet want to go to Innisfree?
2. What does the poet imply by “from the veils of morning”?
3. How does the poet describe evening, noon and midnight at Innisfree?
4. Does the poem celebrate the theme of escapism? Explain.
C. Long answer type question

1. Why is Lake Isle of Innisfree so attractive to the poet? How does the poem contrast the city life from the life at
the lake isle of Innisfree?

The Lake Isle of Innisfree: by William Butler Yeats

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The Lake Isle of Innisfree: by William Butler Yeats

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The Lake Isle of Innisfree

By William Butler Yeats

William Butler Yeats (13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939)

Genre Nature poem

B. Short answer type questions

C. Long answer type question

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