THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE: QUESTION ANSWERS

Summary of ''The Lake Isle of Innisfree''

''The Lake Isle of Innisfree'' summary is quite straightforward. The poem consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas). In the first stanza, the speaker of the poem announces his intention to leave his life and move to Innisfree. He will build his own home there from ''clay and wattles,'' which is a particular construction method where sticks are bent into shape and then covered with clay for insulation. He says that he will grow food, namely beans, and that he will keep a hive of honeybees.

In the second stanza, the speaker thinks about how peaceful his new life will be. The world will feel slower than it does in the city and he will be able to appreciate little things like the color of the sky and the birds (in this case, linnets) that will live on the island with him. In the final stanza of the poem, the speaker again expresses his intention to go to Innisfree. He says that he can already hear the lake water lapping in his ''deep heart's core,'' even when he is still in the city. His desire to go to the island is overwhelming.

''The Lake Isle of Innisfree'' Analysis

To begin a ''Lake Isle of Innisfree'' analysis, it is important to consider several different elements, including themes, symbols, and other poetic devices. There is relatively little ambiguity in ''The Lake Isle of Innisfree,'' meaning that unlike some other poems (like ''The Second Coming, for example), an analysis of this poem is relatively straightforward. The poem is ultimately an exaltation of the natural world and an expression of the desire to live a peaceful life outside of the boundaries of civilization. As such, the poem is part of a long tradition of poets expressing this desire and romanticizing the concept of living in harmony with the natural world.

Themes in ''The Lake Isle of Innisfree''

The first ''The Lake Isle of Innisfree'' theme to explore is the interplay between nature and civilization. The speaker of the poem lives in the city, as evidenced by the line, ''While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey.'' He lives in the city, but he yearns to live in nature on Innisfree. Readers can infer from lines like ''And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,'' that life in the city is far from peaceful, and that the speaker feels that a quieter life would be better for his soul. For Yeats in particular, it is important to keep in mind that he was living in an English city while dreaming of his native Irish countryside: Innisfree is not just an abstract location but rather a place that he knows well and loves deeply.

The Actual Lake Isle of Innisfree

The Lake Isle of Innisfree is a real place near the coast of Ireland. It is not inhabited and is on Lough Gill, a lake in County Sligo. The lake itself is approximately five and a half miles in length and one and a half miles wide, so it is very small. Yeats would go to Sligo as a child on vacations, so it was a good memory for him. It is a quiet place. Think of somewhere you know and love, a woodsy place where you can hear the frogs and birds, a place to get away. That might be your Innisfree.

Poetic Devices

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at close intervals. The repetition may be at the beginning of successive words (initial alliteration) and within words (internal alliteration). Alliteration makes a poem lyrical.

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 veil. The fog, mist or dew drops in the morning atmosphere form the ‘veil’.

Anaphora

Anaphora is the repetition of an identical word or a group of words in successive verses. Poets often repeat single words or phrases, lines, and sometimes, even whole stanzas at intervals to create a musical effect; to emphasize a point; to draw the readers’ attention or to lend unity to a piece.

Examples:

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow

Dropping from the veils of the morning…

Here the words ‘peace’ and ‘dropping’ are repeated. ‘Peace’ emphasizes the calmness and ‘dropping’ stresses the easy pace of things in nature which is in contrast to the rush and humdrum of city life.

I will arise and go now

 The expression has been used twice in the poem, once in the first stanza and then again in the last stanza. The repetition, apart from giving a smooth flow to the poem, brings out the poet’s decisiveness. He is clear in his mind that he would definitely get up and leave for Innisfree.

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.

THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE

Question 1.
What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about:

1.    the three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (stanza I);

2.    what he hears and sees there and its effect on him (stanza II);

3.    what he hears in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree (stanza III).

Answer:

Innisfree is a beautiful place where nature is in its frill swing.

1.    The poet wants to build a small hut of clay and wattles. He will have a nine bean-rows and a hive for the honeybees.

2.    He hears peace come dropping and the cricket sing. He sees the midnight shine and a purple glow at noon. Evenings are full of linnet’s wings. He feels happy and gets peace of mind.

3.    The poet hears the lake water lapping the shore with low sounds.

Question 2.
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? (Read stanza III.)
Answer:.
The natural beauty of Innisfree is used and explained in contrast with the roads and pavements in city. The pavement is of grey colour which symbolises decay and death.

Question 3.
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:
The natural beauty of Innisfree is not the creation of the poet’s fancy. It is a real place that gives solace to the frustrated souls. The poet longs to live at such a beautiful and peaceful place. He misses it a lot.

II.
Question 1.
Look at the words the poet uses to describe what he sees and hears at Innisfree

1.    bee-loud glade

2.    evenings full of the linnet’s wings

3.    lake water lapping with low sounds What pictures do these words create in your mind?

Answer:

1.    These words create the picture of the hive and honeybee humming all around. It is in the glade.

2.    Linnet is a bird with wings. When it flutters its wings, it looks beautiful. And when the bird sits on a tree amidst beautiful natural scene, it leaves an indelible impression on the minds of the beholder.

3.    It is an ordinary but bewitching scene. The waves strike the lake’s shore to create a pleasing and soothing sound.

Question 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?
Answer:
These words mean that peace surrounds that area at dawn. The pleasing and melodious sound of cricket greets the morning. It adds sweetness to the serenity of the place.

Additional Questions

Short answer type questions

Question 1.
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.

Question 2.
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.

Question 3.
Why does the poet want to go to Innisfree?
Answer:
The poet wants to go to Innisfree to enjoy its natural beauty. Its morning, noon and evening are different from the cities where high-rise buildings touch the sky. He hears the pleasing sound of birds and gets peace of mind.

Question 4.
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.

Question 5.
What does the isle of Innisfree stand for the poet?
Answer:
The isle of Innisfree stands for unadulterated 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 contented with living in a small cabin and working at a small farm.

Question 6.
Is the poet’s going to Innisfree merely an attempt to escape from the harsh realities of city life?
Answer:
No doubt, Innisfree provides all what the poet yearns for. Even standing on the doorway or on the grey pavement of the city, he escapes to the natural world of the lake isle of Innisfree. The sounds of the birds and the lake water lapping by the shore echo in the core of his heart. This escapism gives him immense pleasure and peace.

Long answer type question

Question 1.
Why is the poet deeply attached with the Lake Isle of Innisfree? Explain.
Answer:
Innisfree is a simple lake island where the poet has spent his childhood days. The poet is in search of peace and calmness which the Lake Isle of Innisfree can provide him. The environment is natural and peaceful and the poet desires to visit this island. According to the poet, on this island peace comes down slowly in the small drops. Moreover, he is very much attracted by the melodious sounds made by the cricket. In fact that sound has deep impact on the poet. The poet believes the lake’s waves hits the shore and crease at low sound which gives aesthetic pleasure. Really, he wants to visit the island Thus, it can be said that he is deeply attached to the lake Isle of Innisfree

Question 2.
What does the lake isle of Innisfree stand for the poet? Is it merely an escapism or a revolt against the superficiality of urban life?
Answer:
The Irish lake isle of Innisfree stands for pure natural beauty, pleasure and peace. It provides a stark contrast to the hectic and artificial life in a city. Amidst the natural surroundings, he will build a small cabin. He will grow beans and build a hive for honeybees. The sounds, sights and music that he enjoys there, haunt him. The isle transcends peace and tranquility. No more the sounds of car and vehicles on the roads. Here what he hears is the sound of honeybees and crickets. It is escapism as well as a revolt against the hectic and artificial life of the city. The sights and sounds of Innisfree never leave him. Even standing on the roadway or on the grey pavement in the city, he hears the low sounds of the lake water lapping by the shore in the core of his heart.

Value based questions

Question 1.
What does nature do for mankind?
Answer:
Nature has great healing power. When we sit in the lap of nature, we forget our sorrows. Our mind becomes fresh and we start our days with new energy. Besides, nature fills new hopes in human beings. For this, as human beings, our friendship with nature is quite essential.

Question 2.
What moral lesson does this poem teach us?
Answer:
‘Go back in nature’ is the message of this poem. 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 to enjoy its music. We must take this immortal lesson from this poem.

Short Answer Type Questions (2 marks each)
(About 30-40 words each)

Question 1:
Describe the person, the placeor the thing brought vividly to life by the poet.
Answer:
The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W. B. Yeats vividly describes an island in the lake of Innisfree. The island is an incredibly peaceful place. The island is also a place of great natural beauty. Yeats describes many different aspects of its appeal, from the various birds and insects to the striking light at different times of day. This is a landscape that has not been damaged or diminished by human interference.

Question 2:
Why does the poet want to go to Innisfree ?
Answer:
The poet wants to go Innisfree in search of peace. He does not like the noisy place as London is. He wants to live in a place which. The poet craves for some peace and hence he wants to go to Innisfree. There he wants to make a small cabin and grow beans. He wants to live there alone.

Question 3:
How is the city life different from the life at the Lake of Innisfree ?
Answer:
The poet does not like the city life. The pavements are dull and grey. There is chaos all around. But there is nature’s beauty all around in Innisfree. It is a dream place for the poet which exists in reality. There is a perfect harmony on the island between the plants and the weather.

Question 4:
Briefly describe one major theme of the poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”.
Answer:
A major theme in “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”, is nature versus civilization. What we value in life is often the exact opposite of what civilization brings with it. Nature allows us to explore the various forms of life but civilization has certain set rules with which we have to abide.

Question 5:
What is the tone of the poem ?
Answer:
The poem has a very calm arid relaxing tone. The reader may picture a person physically going to this place called Innisfree but the narrator of the poem is visiting this place in his imagination. It helps him to relax and escape the rush of modem living.

Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each)
(About 80-100 words each)

Question 1:
In the poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree’, what does the poet find so attractive about ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’.
Answer:
The thing that the poet finds so attractive about Lake Isle of Innisfree is its promise of peace.
The poet, then, long for this place which affords a sense of contentment and relaxation far from the busy modem life. The poem’s slow and regular meter helps to convey this languid, dreamy effect. There is also the vivid impressionistic description of the colours and beauties of this place, and the soothing stir of nature which is so different from the strident noise of the city where the poet actually is, as the final stanza makes clear.
The poet, then, is physically trapped in the city, but he can imagine the beauty of Innisfree and this gives him spiritual sustenance. This is one of Yeats’s early lyrics, exhibiting a familiar romantic sensibility in its praise of the deep purity and beauty of nature which is contrasted with the drabness, shallowness and sterility of modem urban living.

Question 2:
In your opinion, what words or phrases used by the poet are the most effective in bringing the person, place or thing fo life? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Throughout the poem, Yeats uses a variety of imaginative phrases to capture the essence of the lake
Isle. He brings the island to life by referring to the different birds and insects there. He comments on how “the cricket sings” and refers to”linnet’s wings”. This gives a sense of energy on the island, and reminds us of what a natural place it is.
The line “and live alone in the bee-loud glade” correctly captures the point that Yeats is trying to make about the island. It is an isolated place, where he can enjoy the solitude.
In the second stanza of the poem, Yeats describes how the light changes on the island throughout the day. He tells us that “noon’s a purple glow”. This light brings the entire lake Isle to life.
Finally, Yeats manages to capture the sounds of the island. He tells us that he can hear” water lapping in low sounds by the shore”. Yeats uses alliteration to recreate the sounds. By repeating the letter “I” so many times, we get a sense of the slow and gentle movement of the water.

Question 3:
Does the poem celebrate the theme of escapism ? Explain.
Answer:
The poem focuses on Innisfree as a place of escape for the speaker. The speaker describes Innisfree as a simple, natural environment where he will build a cabin and live alone. ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ expresses the idea that nature provides an inherently restorative place to which human beings can go to escape the chaos and corrupting influences of civilization. In this poem, the speaker/Yeats longs to live in the simplicity of nature, with no extraneous distractions of city life or the superfluous habits, customs, and daily routines of an increasingly fast-paced, modem world. The speaker is only dreaming of “getting away from it all.”Even if he never goes, he will at least have the mental escape. This is the saving grace; even if he cannot get out of the city, he can imagine the escape as he can will himself to hear the lake water lapping even while standing on the pavement in the city. There is another appeal/implication that one can never go back to the past place of nostalgia and youth, but through imagination and reflection, one can always have the mental escape and memory of another time and place.