Exam-oriented note for Poem 4: The Lake Isle of Innisfree from English Beehive – Class IX, with a point-wise summary and detailed Q&A:

Poem 4: The Lake Isle of Innisfree

Poet: William Butler Yeats

Point-wise Summary

• The poet dreams of going to Innisfree, a peaceful island in Ireland.
• He wants to live a simple life there in a small cabin made of clay and wattles.
• He imagines growing beans and living alone in harmony with nature.
• He longs for peace, which he finds in natural sounds—cricket songs, morning light, and the sound of birds.
• Even in the noisy city, he hears the peaceful call of Innisfree in his mind and heart.
• The poem expresses the poet’s deep yearning for spiritual peace and natural beauty.

Theme

• Peace found in nature versus chaos of urban life
• Human longing for solitude and simplicity
• Connection between inner peace and the natural world
• The power of imagination and memory

Word Meanings

• Wattles – Twigs or sticks used to build walls
• Glade – A small open space in a forest
• Veils of the morning – Soft morning light like a covering
• Linnet – A small songbird
• Lake water lapping – Gentle sound of water hitting the shore

Literary Devices

• Imagery: Vivid visual and sound pictures like “bee-loud glade” and “midnight’s all a glimmer”
• Alliteration: “lake water lapping”
• Repetition: “I will arise and go now”
• Metaphor: Morning as a veil; night as glimmer and glow
• Symbolism: Innisfree symbolizes peace and escape from stress

Important Questions and Answers

1. What kind of life does the poet want at Innisfree?
He wants a quiet, self-sufficient life in a small cabin where he grows his own food and enjoys the beauty of nature.

2. What kind of images does the poet create about Innisfree?
He paints peaceful and natural images—buzzing bees, glimmering stars, singing birds, and the soft sound of lake water.

3. How does the poet contrast city life with Innisfree?
City life is noisy and chaotic, while Innisfree offers peace, solitude, and closeness to nature. The poet feels a spiritual pull toward the island.

4. What does the line “I hear it in the deep heart’s core” suggest?
It means the poet’s longing for Innisfree is deep and emotional. Even in the city, he can feel its peaceful presence in his soul.

5. What is the tone of the poem?
The tone is calm, nostalgic, and meditative. It reflects a longing for peace and escape from material life.

6. What does Innisfree symbolize in the poem?
Innisfree symbolizes a peaceful retreat or ideal place where one can reconnect with nature and inner peace.

7. What natural elements does the poet wish to enjoy?
He wants to enjoy bees buzzing, cricket songs, peaceful nights, glowing stars, and the quiet rhythm of lake water.

8. Why does the poet repeat “I will arise and go now”?
The repetition shows his intense desire and determination to leave city life and seek the peace of Innisfree.

continue with Chapter 5: The Snake and the Mirror next