The Lake Isle of Innisfree
By William Butler Yeats
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core
Summary of The Lake Isle of Innisfree
- Popularity of “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”: Published back in 1888, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” is a nature poem. In this poem, William Butler Yeats, a phenomenal Irish poet, and writer, has expressed his desire to enjoy nature. He carves a realistic picture of the gravitational pull of nature as how it calls human beings. Although Yeats wrote this poem years ago, its lifelike themes have made it alive and forever green.
- “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” As a Representative of Desires: This beautiful poem revolves around the unfulfilled desires of the speaker. It begins when the speaker expresses his desire to get up and go to a small island called Innisfree. He wishes to make a small cabin on this beautiful island using clay and twigs. While explaining his intentions, he delves deep into his imagination and states that he wishes to plan nine rows of beans in his surrounding area, which will buzz with the musical sound of honey bees. Furthermore, he explains how this place will offer him eternal joy as he would find all the bounties of nature there. In the poem’s final lines, he reinforces the idea of going to Innisfree, explaining how his worldly engagements prevent him from achieving his dream. Although he tries to go with the flow of life, the imagined place resonates deep in his heart.
- Major Themes in “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”: The poem’s major themes are man versus nature, responsibilities, and imagination. This poem explains how nature provides an escape to those who seek pleasure and peace. The poem presents the agony of the speaker who wants to enjoy life to the maximum, but his everyday responsibilities throw hurdles in his way. He wishes to lead a peaceful life on a small island surrounded by the glory of nature, but the pull of busy life blurs his imagination. However, his desire to escape to a natural setting has grown deep in his heart. In other words, modern society comes between man and nature. It disillusioned him and stopped him from seeking the secret of beauty and truth.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used In The Lake Isle of Innisfree
Literary devices are tools that allow writers to choose their words to create style within meanings. Yeats, too, has employed some literary devices in this poem to show his desires. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,” and the sound of /o/ in “Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings.”
- Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. Yeats repeated the word “I” in the final stanza of the poem to emphasize the point, such as;
“I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “I hear it in the deep heart’s core.” and the sound of /n/ in “And evening full of the linnet’s wings.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. William Butler Yeats used imagery in this poem such as; “And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made”, “Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee” and “And live alone in the bee-loud glade..”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem uses symbols, such as natural beauty, man versus nature, and peace, to demonstrate the poet’s love for nature.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in The Lake Isle of Innisfree
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: It means the type of language. The poem shows descriptive, simple, and poetic diction.
- End Rhyme: The end Rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. William Butler Yeats used end rhyme in this poem, such as; “glade/made” “slow/glow” and “sings/wings.”
- Quatrain: A quatrain is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Here each stanza is quatrain.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, with each comprising four verses.
- Tone: It means the text of the voice. The poem shows a loving and emotive tone.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote the desires of a person who loves to spend time in a beautiful natural setting.
“I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.”