The Lake Isle of Innisfree

(Use these questions & answers only to understand the lessons. Don’t by heart any of the answers.)

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.