The Lake Isle of Innisfree

Lesson - 4

The Lake Isle of Innisfree (Poem)

By William Butler Yeats

1. Where does the poet want to go? What is he looking for?

Answer: The poet wants to go to the lake of Innisfree. He is looking for peace and serenity.

2. What does the poet wish to build at lnnisfree? What does “lnnisfree” symbolise? Why does the poet wish to stay at lnnisfree?

Answer: The poet wishes to build a small cabin at lnnisfree to be made with sticks and clay.
lnnisfree symbolises a place of peace and tranquility.
The poet wishes to stay at lnnisfree to live in a peaceful environment and to escape from hectic schedule-of the city life.

3. What kind of place is Innisfree?

Answer: Innisfree is a simple, natural and a beautiful place full of peace and tranquility which the poet compares to the noisy city.

4. What are the three things that poet wants to do when he goes back to Innisfree?

Or,

What kind of a life does the poet want to lead on the Lake Isle of Innisfree?

Answer: Innisfree is a peaceful and tranquil place where he can build a small cabin of clay and wattles to live in. He says that he will grow nine rows of beans and keep a hive with honey bees. He also intends to live alone in the open space listening to the sound of the bees.

5. What does the poet hear and see in the Innisfree and its effect on him?
Answer: 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 bird flying in the evening sky. The shimmering stars in the night sky and the purplish glow of the afternoon Sun. All these give him a feeling of being at peace.

6. What does the poet hear in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree?

   Or,

   What does the poet hear night and day in the core of his heart?
Answer: Even when the poet is away from Innisfree, he can hear night and day in his heart's core the sound of the water lapping against the shore of the lake.

7. What does the isle of Innisfree stand for the poet?

Answer: The isle of Innisfree stands for unmixed natural beauty. A visit to Innisfree gives immense joy, pleasure and peace to the poet. The sounds of honeybees, crickets and the lake water lapping by the shore tempt him to go there again and again. He will be content with living in a small cabin and working at a small farm.

8. 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?
Answer: The poet describes lake Innisfree as a place full of the beauties of nature. He loves for the simplicity of Innisfree and fondly recollects the sounds of lake water lapping away at the shore. He compares this peaceful sound to the noise he experiences as he stands on the roadway or the grey pavements of the city.
He also contrasts the colours of Innisfree to the grey, dull pavements of the city.
He therefore wants to leave the noise of the city behind and return to the calm beauty of Innisfree.

9. Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the place of his boyhood days?
Answer: Although Innisfree is actually a place where the poet spent his childhood, it could also be a symbol of 'peace' for the poet. As he lives in the city now, he expresses a desire to go to Innisfree which has peaceful surroundings. This shows his state of mind.

    Yes, he misses lake Innisfree when he says that the sound of the lake water hitting the shore echoes in the core of his heart.

10. What moral lesson does this poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" teach us?

Answer: This poem teaches us that we should build a cabin in a solitary place and enjoy nature which has magical power. Obviously, nature unfolds itself in a solitary place and allows us to enjoy its music. We must take this immortal lesson from this poem.

11. When and where will the poet experience ‘peace’?

Answer: The poet will experience ‘peace’ in the lap of nature at the Lake Isle of Innisfree. He will observe the beautiful trees, insects, birds and bushes. The calm and cool atmosphere of the forest will give happiness to him.

12. How does the poet describe the lake’s waves?

Answer: The poet says that the lake’s waves hit its shore and create a low sound. It gives him aesthetic pleasure. He hears it and enjoys it. It also gives him solace and comforts. He finds his peace of mind.

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

           Or,

     Where does the poet want to go and why?

Answer: The poet wants to go Innisfree in search of peace. He does not like the noisy place where high-rise buildings touch the sky. He wants to enjoy its natural beauties, morning mist and the pleasing sound of birds and crickets. Hence the poet wants to live alone in the Innisfree.

14. Where is the poet standing? How is it different from Innisfree?

Answer: The poet is standing on the roadway or on the pavements of grey colour. This colour epitomises decay. He compares that with the floral beauty of Innisfree. However, standing even there, he can hear the sounds of the lake water lapping by the shore. He hears it in the core of his heart.

15. Why does the poet miss the Innisfree?

Answer: The poet misses the Innisfree because he longs for the peace and tranquility of that place, where he spent a lot of time as a boy.

16. How does the poet describe the mornings on the lonely island?

Answer: 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.

17. What does the poet hear at Innisfree? Or, What kind of music does the poet get to hear at Innisfree? Or, What kind of music will the poet enjoy on the Lake Isle of Innisfree?

Answer: On the Isle of Innisfree, the poet will enjoy the humming of the bees, song of the crickets and the mild music of the waves striking against the shore.

18. What sort of house will the poet build in the Innisfree?

Answer: The poet will build a house of clay and wood there.

19. Who else will live with the poet at Innisfree? What does the poet hope to get there?

Answer: The poet will live all alone in the Innisfree. The poet hopes to get peace there.

20. Who is the poet of the poem 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree'? What happens to Innisfree Island at midnight?

Answer: William Butler Yeats is the poet of the poem. The whole island of Innisfree glimmers at midnight.

From Page: 55

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?

Answer: i) Bee-loud glade: These words create a picture of an open space filled with the buzzing of bees.

ii) Evenings full of the linnets' wings: These words bring to our minds the image of linnets flying around in the evening sky. It also creates an auditory imagery of the pleasing sound of birds' wings.

(iii) Lake water lapping with low sounds: These words create a idyllic picture in our minds as well as conjure up the low sound of the waters of the lake as they gently lap against the shore.

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?

     Or,

What does the poet imply by “….from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings.

Answer: The given lines indicate that peace of mind can be slowly acquired from the natural surroundings.

    It is peace that “comes dropping slow from the veils of the morning”. The mornings veiled with mist bring a picture of calmness and tranquility to the mind of the reader.
    The phrase “to where the cricket sings” indicates a peaceful place where one can hear the vibrant sounds of nature− sounds such as the songs of the crickets at the time of दdद

Word-Notes:

Innisfree = the name of an Island;  Isle = Island ; Clay = mud; Wattles = twisted / sticks ; Glade = open space; Dropping = falling in drops ; Veils = curtain; Cricket = a singing insect; Glimmer = twinkling; Linnet = a small singing bird; Lapping = sound of the water striking gently against shore; Pavements  = footpath; Arise—get up; Cabin—small hut; Bean—a vegetable; Hive—structure made by bees; Honeybee—a stinging winged insect that collects nectar and pollen; Peace—calm; Purple—dark reddish blue colour; Glow—shine;  Linnet—a small grey and brown bird with short beak; Lake—large body of water on land; Lap—hit gently; Shore—edge, bank.