I 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.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
Notes
First published in The National Observer 13th December 1890
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This is one of my favorite poems. I adore the line :"And live alone in the bee-loud glade." I love the concept of a place where "peace comes dropping slow". I love thhe shorter line "And evening full of the linnet's wings". It almost seems to rush up into the sky with the bird itself.
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One of my favorite pieces by Yeats. The Isle of Innisfree is a real island in Ireland near Sligo if memory serves me. From studies, Yeats spent many summers there with family members in his youth.
~Pamela -
For me this poem has always been able to weave a powerful spell of nameless magic and completely enthrall me.
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Innisfree
From guest Steve Bellis (contact)
Innisfree is in part understood by the revival of the Gaelic tradition. The rebirth of antiquity, of naturalness against the modern world found a natural empathy and synergy in a country trying to rid itself of English oppression, political and cultural. Going back to redefine one's personality and culture is a personal and national characteristic of the Gaelic League and the Gaelic Revival- finding its ultimate physical force expression in the 1916 Rising, a precursor to the eventual 'independence' of 1921. Yeats, an Anglo-Irishman, was characteristic of the cultural leaders of this movement and his relationship with the similarly spirited Maude Gonne and others would shape much of his writing.Yeats was a wordsmith whose echoes in these times were romantic - turning later to biting commentaries of, as he saw it, the failure of independence to reach the heights by releasing the nation to the attainment of free cultural expression, descending instead to a dull, commercial and inner-looking society. Yeats had little understanding of class and his personal rebuttal in his love life engenders much of his work with bitterness - even if beautifully expressed - 'A Terrible Beauty Is Born'! -
Yeats seems to be feeling homesick - amongst his lines he's yearning for the Ireland of his youth, where old stories and folklore abound. Perhaps helping to make it the special place it is.
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William is talking about a book his once reaed as a small boy. He wrote the poem when was 23 years of age. the lake isle of innisfree of ever iland.
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From guest angela (contact)
I need to know the whole meaning of the poem.What is the author trying to say? -
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To Guest Angela.
Unfortunately Yeats is no longer here to answer that question precisely and we are left to interpret it ourselves.
For me it is simply an expression of the desire to escape the rush of modern life (even back in those days city life was quite hectic) for the tranquility of a rural life enjoying natures bounty by ones own efforts.
Have a look at all the comments below this one and you will see other ideas.
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urban to rural
From guest James (contact)
Interesting thing about this poem is that he wrote it in London. If it wasn't London then it might be some other large city in England. Such beautiful and peaceful words about a western Ireland place to come from a hurried city is amazing. -
Line 6 confuses me.
From guest Jesdisciple (contact)
What are the morning's veils? (Sky?) Where does the cricket sing? (Ground?) The only interpretation I can come up with is in the parentheses, but I don't see peace falling like rain, and "veils = sky" is a stretch for me. Perhaps that's correct, and it would be a romantic concept (as peace cannot then be gotten indoors). -
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The morning veils, especially around water, is a fine mist or fog!
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innesfree'
From guest jane (contact)
the name of the place has double meanings. it indicates a kind of peaceful mind with the similiar pronunciation with "inner free". just guess, maybe wrong. -
Then wonders for the 'purple glow'.
From guest Connie (contact)
This is a very good poem. It makes you thinks and imagine about the view that mention in the poem. but then i got a qustion here, i don't really understand about the meaning of 'purple glow' in this poem. can anyone tell me about that??
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Hey I would tend to disagree with the earlier explination to this. He could be refering to purple heather which is common across Irish landscape and dominates many mountainsides or the tendancy of the sky to illuminate a reddy-purple at cartain times of the year in Ireland.
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Purple Glow
The Ox mountains surround the Lake Isle of Innisfree and being Iron stone they have a tendancy to glow from purple to deep bronze as the sun moves across them. A painters paradise, or even a poet's lair
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this speaks about the poet's search for soltitude... and he says he finds it in the deep woods... away from the urban world...
in the last four lines... he says he would go to the woods... as he could hear the silence or muffled sounds of the woods, deep in his heart ... even as he stands on the pavements and roadways of his town... -
Poignant
I think he harps back to his idyllic life in Ireland here. It seems to express his yearning for the pastoral Ireland of myth and folklore, which was quickly disappearing in the face of the modern world. The 4th line is most lovely and if one listens the bees hum will be heard.
Von -
To me it seems like a dream in which he had that now he wishes to see come true for whatever reason that prompted him to have that dream in the first place. Whether that be from loss or just moving on to something more, something fulfilling in his life at that point.
My perception. Could be wrong.
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As a wedding present (from my new Irish sister in-law) I receieved the last four lines of this poem framed. I am not quite sure what it means. Any intterputations? Thanks!
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This is a very good writing. I like it
Keep up the good work. I am running out of time, but don't you stop writing. YOu have a wonderful night and God bless you too -
great vivid poem that anyone can identify with.
although yeats names a specific place innisfree- this is a poem that anyone, anywhere could identify with and respond to. human nature is such that we have all known the desire to to escape to a quieter and more beautiful tranquil world. in this poem yeats not alone searches for a place of peace he also searches for an experience of peace "and i shall have some peace there for peace comes dropping slow" even though yeats never went there. -
good
This poem is really interesting and it really makes you think about its meaning. I still dont quite understand what it is saying, but i think whatever it is must be something romantic, because i am a romantic person and i view everything as romantic -
this should be on the featured poem of the day's list....anyone?
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Many a time I have sat and overlooked this same place. Who could help but be poetic about it? This is my second favourite to 'The Stolen Child'.
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