The Lake Isle Of Innisfree Summary (ICSE Class 9) By William Yeats

Short Summary – The Lake Isle Of Innisfree

“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” is a poem written by W.B. Yeats in 1888. The poem describes the speaker’s longing to leave the city and return to the peaceful and simple life of Innisfree, an island on Lough Gill in County Sligo, Ireland.

The speaker begins by describing the busy and noisy city streets, filled with the sounds of traffic and people. He longs to leave this chaos and return to the serene and tranquil setting of Innisfree, where he can build a small cabin with clay and wattles (woven branches), and plant beans and peas. He imagines the peace and tranquility of living on the island, where he can hear the water lapping on the shore and the bees humming in the thyme.

The speaker continues to describe the beauty of Innisfree, with its nine bean-rows and a hive for the honeybee. He longs to live in harmony with nature, and to escape the materialism and superficiality of city life. He yearns to be free from the constraints of society and to live a simple and authentic life.

The poem concludes with the speaker saying that he 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 honeybee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade. He wants to get away from the urban life and live in Innisfree where he can live in harmony with nature and himself.

The poem’s main theme is the longing for a simpler, more natural life, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s a romanticized vision of an idyllic existence, where one is surrounded by natural beauty and can live in harmony with nature.

In this poem, Yeats is expressing a desire to return to a simpler, more authentic life, away from the superficiality and materialism of city life. He longs for the beauty and tranquility of nature, and the freedom to live in harmony with it.

About The Author

The poet William Yeats, who declares his desire to travel to Innisfree, is referred to as “I” in this poem. He will use clay and small sticks from the walls and fences of the hut to construct a modest room for himself there.

Conclusion

The poet in this poem wants so badly to get to Innisfree so he might live happily in his cabin there. But the poet’s current circumstance is exactly the opposite of what he wants. Overall, the author expresses his desire for peace throughout the poem, which he believes can only be found close to the lake of Innisfree.