The Lake Isle of Innisfree
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
William Butler Yeast
Yeast one of the major poet in the 20th century. He was born at Sandymount, near Dublin. He was educated in Godolpin School, Hammersmith and Erasmus Smith School, Dublin. Yeast was the leading figure in the Irish literary renaissance. He was a senator of the Irish Free State. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. He helped found the Irish National Theatre too.
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
The poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree is the result of man’s civilization, urbanization and industrialization. It is about the modern man who caught up in the rat race of the life and end up with no opportunities, inclination to live with nature. The poet himself too was dissatisfied with the social and political turmoil at his time and he yearned for peace, serenity and tranquility of country life. The poem expresses the inner thoughts of the poet. It is his deep interest to be with unspoilt nature. According to the poet he needs to arise from his urban world and go to the Innisfree which is close to the nature. It is far away from urban city. It seems that the poet seeks happiness in nature. The words like ‘clay’, ‘wattle’, ‘hive’, ‘honey bee’ suggest the fresh unspoilt sources of nature. Moreover the poet brings out the sense of enchantment. The day and night / morning and evening are suggested through the natural events like songs of linnets, crickets. Through all the images the poet suggests simplicity. There is a comparison between simple country life and monotonous town life. The poet is standing on the grey pavements of the city and his heart yearns the simplicity of the rural county life. The poem represents how modern man intends to live with nature by escaping and withdrawing himself from the urban life.
The poem is musical and lyrical. Number of alliterations and assonance has been used to emphasis the beauty of the country life. Eg: Hive – Honey, live – in, linnet – wing …There is a rhyme scheme of ababcdcdefef with a regular rhythm. Especially the first line creates a sense of immediacy. ‘I will arise and go now,’ and also the whole poem appeals to our senses while highlighting the peace, beauty, simplicity and harmony of the rural life.