The Lake Isle of Innisfree – Class 12 Alternative English Chapter 10

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

Note for Students: Understanding “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”

William Butler Yeats’s “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” is one of his most beloved poems. It captures a universal feeling: the deep longing to escape the noise and stress of modern city life and find peace in a simple, natural setting. The speaker, who is standing on a dull, grey city pavement, dreams of a small, beautiful island from his childhood called Innisfree.

The poem is a work of intense nostalgia and imagination. Yeats uses beautiful, sensory language to paint a vivid picture of the life he desires. He doesn’t just want to see Innisfree; he wants to hear the “bee-loud glade,” feel the slow-dropping peace, and build a life of self-sufficiency with a small cabin and a few bean-rows.

As you read, pay close attention to the contrast between the two worlds: the dreary, grey reality of the city and the vibrant, peaceful dream of Innisfree. The poem’s power comes from the fact that this idyllic place is not just a location, but a feeling that the poet carries “in the deep heart’s core,” offering him solace no matter where he is.

Comprehension

This section will help you test your basic understanding of the poem’s content and imagery.

A. Answer in one or two words.

1. Where does the poet want to go? (AHSEC 2015, 2017)
   • Answer: To Innisfree.
2. What will he build there? (AHSEC 2019)
   • Answer: A small cabin.
3. With what will he build it? (AHSEC 2016)
   • Answer: Clay and wattles.
4. What will the poet plant there? (AHSEC 2018)
   • Answer: Nine bean-rows.
5. How, according to the poet, will peace arrive in Innisfree? (AHSEC 2020)
   • Answer: Dropping slow.

Short Answer Questions

This section requires you to think more deeply about the poem’s details and their significance.

B. Answer in a few words.

1. Where is Innisfree located?
   • Answer: Innisfree is a small, uninhabited island located in Lough Gill, County Sligo, Ireland.
2. What is the significance of the ‘bee-loud glade’?
   • Answer: The ‘bee-loud glade’ is significant because it creates a powerful auditory image of nature’s vibrant, humming life, symbolizing a peaceful and productive existence away from the city’s noise.
3. What does the speaker mean by ‘peace comes dropping slow’?
   • Answer: The speaker means that peace is not a sudden event but a gentle, gradual process that unfolds slowly and naturally, like mist descending from the “veils of the morning.”
4. How does the poem create a sense of nostalgia using imagery?
   • Answer: The poem creates nostalgia through vivid sensory images of Innisfree—the sound of “lake water lapping,” the sight of “midnight’s all a glimmer,” and the feeling of a peaceful, solitary life—which the poet longs for from his current urban reality.

Brief and Detailed Answers

These questions require a more detailed analysis of the poem’s language, themes, and central message.

C. Answer these questions briefly.

1. What does the poet mean by ‘arise and go’?
   • Answer: The phrase ‘arise and go’ conveys a sense of immediate urgency and firm resolution. It is a biblical allusion to the story of the Prodigal Son, suggesting a deep spiritual need to leave his current life and return to a place of peace and belonging.
2. Where does the poet stand when he hears ‘the deep heart’s core’? (AHSEC 2022)
   • Answer: The poet is standing in a dreary, urban environment, specifically “on the roadway, or on the pavements grey.” It is from this bleak city setting that he hears the memory of Innisfree’s lapping water deep within his heart, highlighting the stark contrast between his reality and his inner world.
3. Which times of the day are referred to and why?
   • Answer: The poem refers to morning, midnight, noon, and evening. These times are mentioned to show that the peace and beauty of Innisfree are constant and present throughout the entire day, from the “veils of the morning” to the “evening full of the linnet’s wings.”
4. Name the different creatures mentioned in the poem.
   • Answer: The creatures mentioned in the poem are the honey-bee, the cricket, and the linnet.

D. Answer in detail.

1. What is the significance of the Lake Isle of Innisfree to the speaker?
   • Answer: The Lake Isle of Innisfree holds immense significance for the speaker as it represents an idyllic sanctuary of peace, simplicity, and natural beauty. It is not just a physical place but a powerful symbol of escape from the anxieties and monotony of modern urban life. For the speaker, who stands on the “pavements grey” of the city, Innisfree is a spiritual and emotional refuge that exists in his memory and imagination. It embodies a life of self-sufficiency (“a small cabin build there”), harmony with nature (the “bee-loud glade”), and profound inner peace. The constant sound of its “lake water lapping” in his “deep heart’s core” shows that Innisfree is his ultimate source of solace and the destination of his deepest longings.
2. What poetic devices does Yeats use in the poem? How do they contribute to the poem’s meaning and effect?
   • Answer: Yeats uses several poetic devices to create the poem’s musical and evocative effect:
     • Imagery: The poem is rich in sensory imagery that brings Innisfree to life. We have visual images (“midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow”), auditory images (“lake water lapping with low sounds,” “the cricket sings”), and the feeling of tranquility (“peace comes dropping slow”). These images create a vivid contrast between the beautiful, natural world of Innisfree and the grey, lifeless city.
     • Alliteration and Assonance: Yeats uses sound devices to create a gentle, lyrical music. The repetition of the ‘l’ sound in “lake water lapping with low sounds” mimics the soft sound of water. The ‘h’ sound in “a hive for the honey-bee” creates a soft, breathy quality. This musicality enhances the poem’s dreamlike and peaceful tone.
     • Repetition: The phrase “I will arise and go now” is repeated, emphasizing the speaker’s deep and urgent desire to escape. This repetition acts like a refrain, reinforcing the central theme of longing.
     • Metaphor: Peace is metaphorically described as “dropping from the veils of the morning,” creating an image of peace as a gentle, natural substance like dew or mist. The “evening full of the linnet’s wings” uses the part (wings) to represent the whole (the presence of birds), filling the evening with life and movement.
3. What is the role of nostalgia in the poem? How is it expressed?
   • Answer: Nostalgia is the driving force of the poem. It is a deep, wistful longing for a time and place associated with peace and happiness—in this case, the poet’s memories of County Sligo from his childhood. The entire poem is an expression of this nostalgic desire to return to a simpler, more meaningful existence. It is expressed through:
     • The Contrast of Settings: The poem’s emotional power comes from the contrast between the speaker’s present reality (“the roadway, or on the pavements grey”) and his idealized memory of Innisfree. The bleakness of the city intensifies his longing for the natural beauty of the island.
     • Sensory Memories: Nostalgia is powerfully conveyed through sensory details. The speaker doesn’t just remember Innisfree; he hears it. The memory of “lake water lapping with low sounds” is not a faint echo but a constant presence “in the deep heart’s core.” This shows that the memory is alive and deeply embedded within him.
     • Idealization of the Past: The vision of Innisfree is perfect and idyllic. It is a place of absolute peace, where nature is beautiful and life is simple. This idealization is a hallmark of nostalgia, where the past is remembered as being better and purer than the present.