The Lake Isle of Innisfree
/ The Lake Isle of Innisfree
Date- 3/8/21
Topics taught- Explanation of poem through Ppt.
Comprehension Questions
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.
