Thinking about the Poem

I. 

Q1. What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about:

(i) the three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (stanza I);
Answer: The poet wants to go to Innisfree, build a small cabin of clay and wattles, have nine bean-rows, and a hive for honeybees.

(ii) what he hears and sees there and its effect on him (stanza II);
Answer: The poet sees a glimmer at midnight, a purple glow at noon, and evenings full of the linnet’s wings. He also hears the sound of a cricket singing. The effect of all this is that he finds peace there.

(iii) what he hears in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree (stanza III).
Answer: Even when he is far away from Innisfree, standing on the roadway or on the pavements, the poet hears the lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore in his “deep heart’s core.”

 Q2. By now you may have concluded that Innisfree is a simple, natural place, full of beauty and peace. How does the poet contrast it with where he now stands? (Read stanza III.)
Answer: The poet contrasts the peaceful and natural beauty of Innisfree with the harsh, grey reality of the city where he is now. He describes his current location as being on “the roadway, or on the pavements grey.” The grayness of the pavement stands in stark contrast to the vivid, natural world of Innisfree.

Q3. Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the place of his boyhood days?
Answer: Innisfree is both a real place and a state of mind for the poet. He literally wants to go to this place, build a cabin, and live there. However, it also represents a state of peace and tranquility that he longs for while living in the city. The fact that he hears the lake water lapping in his “deep heart’s core” even when he is far away shows that he deeply misses the place of his boyhood days and the peace it represents.

II.

Q1. Look at the words the poet uses to describe what he sees and hears at Innisfree

(i) bee-loud glade
Answer: This phrase creates a picture in the mind of an open space in the forest filled with the buzzing sounds of bees

(ii) evenings full of the linnet’s wings
Answer: This phrase brings to mind an image of a serene evening sky with small birds flying around.

(iii) lake water lapping with low sounds
Answer: This phrase evokes the gentle, calming sound of water softly hitting the shore of a lake.

Q2. Look at these words:

   “…peace comes dropping slow / Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings”

What do these words mean to you? What do you think “comes dropping slow…from the veils of the morning”? What does “to where the cricket sings” mean?
Answer: The phrase “peace comes dropping slow” means that peace is not an instant feeling but something that gradually descends upon a person. The phrase “comes dropping slow…from the veils of the morning” suggests that peace comes with the morning mist or the light of dawn. The “veils” could be the mist that covers the morning sky. “To where the cricket sings” means that this feeling of peace extends from dawn until night, as crickets usually sing at night. This entire line paints a picture of a gradual, all-encompassing peace.