Lake Isle of Innisfree

The Lake Isle of Innisfree
By
William Butler Yeats
Wattles rods used for
fences
Hive home for bees
Bee loud glade a clea
open space in the fores
Veil covering
Cricket an insect
Glimmer dim glow
Linnet bird
Lapping moving in
gentle waves
Core central part
Stanza1
I will arise….bee loud glade
“I” here refers to the poet William Butler Yeats. He
says that he wants to go to Innisfree. Over there, he will
build a small room for himself with clay and small sticks
which are used to make the walls or the fences of the
cabin. As he will need some food to eat also, so he will
grow nine rows of beans near his room .Also he will get
the honey from honey bee hive. He says that open
space, where he will build his room will be full of buzzing
sound of the bees, he will live all alone in peace and
tranquility.
Stanza 2
And I shall have….linnet’s wings.
In this stanza the poet says that when he will be in Innisfree, he
will feel peaceful and he says that the feeling of peace comes
slowly and gradually. He describes how he would feel peaceful in
the morning time, when it is cloudy and the view is not very
clear then it will appear as if the morning has worn a veil and
has hidden itself. Looking at this scene, will make him feel
peaceful. When the male cricket insect will sing a song that
sound will bring him at peace. When he will see the twinkling
stars in the open Sky, their Shine will give him peace in the
afternoon. When the sunlight will give a purple glow, it will also
give him peace. During the evening, when he will see the linnet
bird flying in the sky then also he will feel good.
Stanza 3
I will arise….heart’s core.
In this stanza, the poet says that now he will

stand up and go to Innisfree because all the time
the sound of the lake waters striking the shore
repeats in his mind. This sound attracts him
towards the lake whenever he is either standing
on the roadway or on the grey coloured
pavement. He hears the sound deep in the
innermost part of his heart.
Comprehension
a. What does the poet find so attractive about the lake Isle of
Innisfree?
Ans. The poet finds peace and loneliness of Innisfree attractive.
b. What words does the poet use to describe how calmness and
tranquility will come to Innisfree?
Ans. The peace and tranquility will come “dropping slow,
dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket
sings.
c. How does the poet describe midnight , noon and evening?
Ans. Midnight is a glimmer, noon is purple glow; the evening is full
of the sounds of linnets.
d. What is so special about the sound produced by the following
line?
Ans. The poet has used the sound of ‘l’: lake, lapping, low, which
also resembles the sound of water against the stones. He has
also used the ‘s’ sound: sounds and shore. The line is easy to
read; it rolls off the tongue
e. What sounds is the poet looking forward to hearing in
Innisfree?
Ans. Apartfrom the bees in the ‘bee-loud glade’,
and the song of crickets, and the sound of the
linnet’s wings, the poet looks forward to
hearing the lake water lapping with low sounds
by the shore.
f. Why do you think the poet says he is going to have nine rows and a
hive ?Is the number and choice important? What would you have had?
Ans. The
poet imagines the simple joys of the
countryside, growing vegetables and gathering
honey. Nine is not important; perhaps he will
have twelve bean-rows.
g. What does the expression pavement grey suggest? How
does this contrast with the scene in Innisfree?
Ans. ‘Pavements grey’ expresses the drabness of

city streets. The poet is obviously not so happy
in the city. This contrasts with warm sounds
and positive descriptions, such as the ‘glow’ of
noon in Innisfree.
h. What do you think is meant by deep heart’s core? Have
you ever heard in your deep heart’s core?
Ans. This means his soul; his inner being.

Q2. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Ans. abab
Working with words
• 1. There midnight’s all a glimmer :
• i. (v) to emit a faint or intermittent light That misty evening we
could see the lights of the city glimmering in the distance.
• ii. (v) to be present faintly or in only a small amount. Hope still
glimmered in his mind.
• Also used as a noun. (The glimmer came from a torch under
the blanket. He showed not a glimmer of understanding.
Q3. Give examples of alliteration from the poem.
Ans
 hive for the honey bee;
 live alone in the bee-loud glade;
 lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
 glimmer…glow;
 hear…heart’s core…
Q4. Reference to context
a. And I shall have some peace there, for peace
comes dropping slow
i. Innisfree The Lake Isle of Innisfree
ii. The poet will be on his own in nature. He
describes the changing light and the natural sounds
and sights that bring him a feeling of peace.
iii. The phrase ‘dropping slow’ means that peace will come to him gradually. A
feeling of peace will come ‘dropping from the veils of the morning’ - the
morning mist. The speaker finds peace from being in nature, living a simple
life, alone, in a beautiful place.
iv. He is looking for peace because he lives in a city, where, ‘standing on the
roadway, or on the pavements grey’ makes him yearn for the peace of the
special place described in the poem. The word grey has negative
connotations of drabness, and ‘roadway’ and ‘pavement’ convey the
impression of a hard, harsh, man-made environment. The contrast to his
descriptions of the place where he finds peace shows that he clearly prefers
being away from the city.
• . The prepositions in the sentences above show a relationship
between two words. Can you tell, in each case, which words these
are?
• a. boy—tree
• b. toys—grass
• c. tractor—tree
• d. we—museum
• e. jug—handle;
• jug—cupboard
• How many prepositions can you find in the poem? What are
they?
• to, of, for, in, for, from, of, to, of, for, with, by, on, on, in

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The Lake Isle of Innisfree

In this stanza, the poet says that now he will

Ans. ‘Pavements grey’ expresses the drabness of

Ans. This means his soul; his inner being.

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