Read the poem 'Lake Isle of Innisfree' by William Butler Yeats and answer following questions.
1. What is the main theme of this poem?
2. Can you identify two different locations in the poem?
3. How do you think WB Yeats felt when writing this poem?
4. What personal connection do you think the poet might of have with the location he is describing in the poem?
5.The last line of the poem reads 'I hear it in the deep heart's core'. What do you think the poet meant by this line?
6.The poet William Butler Yeats uses the technique of imagery throughout this poem.Find two examples of this.
7.Can you identify any other poetic techniques used by the poet? Use examples from the poem to support your anwer.
8.Which line in the poem 'The lake Isle of Innisfree' stood out to you the most?Why?
9.Do you like this poem? Explain your answer.
10.If you could ask the poet a question what would it be?
Answers & Comments
The main theme of the poem is the desire for escape from the hustle and bustle of city life to a peaceful and idyllic natural setting.
Two different locations mentioned in the poem are the "pavements grey" of the city and the "bee-loud glade" of the lake isle.
It seems that WB Yeats felt a sense of longing and nostalgia for a simpler and more natural way of life when writing this poem.
It is believed that WB Yeats had a personal connection with the location he is describing in the poem as he spent his childhood in the Irish countryside and had a deep appreciation for nature and the rural landscape.
The poet meant that the desire to escape to the peaceful and idyllic setting of the lake isle is so strong that it resonates within his innermost being.
Two examples of imagery used by the poet in this poem are "bee-loud glade" and "peace comes dropping slow".
Other poetic techniques used by the poet include repetition, alliteration, and metaphor. For example, "And live alone in the bee-loud glade" is a repetition of the desire for solitude, "And I shall have some peace there" is a metaphor for inner peace, and "And evening full of the linnet's wings" is an example of alliteration.
The line in the poem that stood out to me the most is "I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore". This line highlights the strong desire to escape to the peaceful and idyllic setting of the lake isle.
As an AI language model, I don't have personal preferences, but many people consider this poem to be one of Yeats' most beautiful and evocative works.
If I could ask the poet a question, I would ask him how his childhood experiences influenced his writing and his appreciation for nature.