The poem
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 honey-bee, 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.
william butler yeats is such a freak, who doesnt make any sense!! however, after much agony over his stupid poem i have managed to make slight sense of it... its about a journer of emotional/sirital escape to the symbol of his past (youth) to escape from the stresses of his life. especially since ireland was going through unstability in the 1880s, leaving families in sticky financial situations he used daydreaming…
Read the whole commentwilliam butler yeats is such a freak, who doesnt make any sense!! however, after much agony over his stupid poem i have managed to make slight sense of it...
its about a journer of emotional/sirital escape to the symbol of his past (youth) to escape from the stresses of his life. especially since ireland was going through unstability in the 1880s, leaving families in sticky financial situations he used daydreaming to fantasize a life of simplicity in nature and brich peace to his troubled mind. His longing for peace and tranquility of his boyhood haunt could only be achievied by emotionally escaping to the simple life of Innisfree. Yeat's poetic fantasy is weird... but somewhat arresting with a depth of feeling and quiteness in the poem. (hehe i think ill write this stuff in my essay!:P) that is all!
Yeah, it is about a longed for spiritual escape to his past, but it always struck me as ironic that Yeats would love to go to innisfree, considering how dependent he was on cosmopolitan living. Tension between ideal and reality makes up a lot of his work, and you can't help but feel that if he was presented with his longed for ideal immediately he would soon tire of it, and move on to thwe next cause du jour.
Well, I'm not interested in the poet as such, more of what the words can evoke in a person. My 84 year old mum suddenly remembered these lines and quoted them to me on Xmas Day. Firstly she was rapt that she could even remember them after learning them about 70 years ago and the words speak to me of a time lost where there was more simplicity, he sounds to me like the original hippy. But more importantly I feel those words summoned up in my mother a time and a place of innocence that she once felt, and we will never. I would like to read this poem at her funeral, ie if she dies before me(!!) Don't we all have dreams of a better place, in this life or the next?
Many years ago I heard a radio broadcast of a recording of Yeats reading this poem and felt a dissapointment at the lack of sincerity or emotion that I felt that the poem deserved, after-all, in school in the irish 1950's we prattled in rote with a sense of pride and learned a 'great'poem. In 2003, on a dying summer evening, I stood with my 12 year old son at Parkes Castle on the shore of the Lake. As we watched the…
Read the whole commentMany years ago I heard a radio broadcast of a recording of Yeats reading this poem and felt a dissapointment at the lack of sincerity or emotion that I felt that the poem deserved, after-all, in school in the irish 1950's we prattled in rote with a sense of pride and learned a 'great'poem.
In 2003, on a dying summer evening, I stood with my 12 year old son at Parkes Castle on the shore of the Lake.
As we watched the colours of the setting sun change through crimson and dark purples and the hills of ancient stone and mirror waters merge in silence with the gently darkening sky, I felt a privledge at seeing and sensing the beauty of the place.
I also felt a scream of anger for the thousands of the youth of Leitrim and Sligo who had to leave this beauty behind and feel the longing from the pavements grey.
I dont care what Yeats intended, the magic of the poem is greater than any man.
I think of what the speaker creates in his mind and the fantasy, dream he shares with us is the one most of us might imagine. I am one of them, as well. “Being alone” sounds a fearful and terrible thing to imagine, but in a way, in a place just like the speaker describes, I don’t think it will be worse than the conditions we experience mostly today. As a person, I am really impressed by the beauty of nature and like…
Read the whole commentI think of what the speaker creates in his mind and the fantasy, dream he shares with us is the one most of us might imagine. I am one of them, as well. “Being alone” sounds a fearful and terrible thing to imagine, but in a way, in a place just like the speaker describes, I don’t think it will be worse than the conditions we experience mostly today. As a person, I am really impressed by the beauty of nature and like to be in a place where I can only feel the softness, warmth and cleanness of the air in a lovely and quiet atmosphere just like the one portrayed in the poem. I really find the expressions, the sound of nature with the voices of bees, crickets’ singing, the wings of linnets as well as the bright lights of stars giving a sort of happiness as magnificent things in this poem. Maybe, it’s because of the reason that any poem depicting a part of nature or anything that adds beauty to nature seems attractive for me and maybe it’s because I am so romantic person who mostly dream of such things as the speaker. Only difference between the speaker and me is that he has a longing for such a life because of a reason; to escape civilization so that he can reach silence, happiness, the sound of nature. However, I dream of similar things when I am alone, not for a specific purpose rather than smoothing myself.
I think it is a simple expression of longing for peace and simplicity. The key line for me is the third of the last verse - he needs to be among the sights and sounds of the second verse.
For comparison, see "Clancy of the Overflow" by 'Banmjo Patterson', in which the speaker also yearns for the simpler life. That poem, indeed much of Patterson's work, is wistful without being somber.
its not about longing to go back to Innisfree but what the poor man was trying to say is that...nothing can beat the power of the mind! you can be in the midst of a chaotic life but you can always train your mind to switch off and focus on something pleasurable.
yates certainly embodied the irish exiles dreams of returning home to a quieter life and piece of mind were simplicity overtures the busy "modern day" confusion . he was an extraordinary indivual with an elusive insight with which he paralelled with his own brands of disquiet and Irish mysticism. although I believe here in this poem he mirrors his truth and sincerity were i have never read before in his poems and I…
Read the whole commentyates certainly embodied the irish exiles dreams of returning home to a quieter life and piece of mind were simplicity overtures the busy "modern day" confusion . he was an extraordinary indivual with an elusive insight with which he paralelled with his own brands of disquiet and Irish mysticism. although I believe here in this poem he mirrors his truth and sincerity were i have never read before in his poems and I feel a certain haunting everytime I read it and genuinly feel that this is a poem written for his meditations and only for him. when will people realise that art should be for the artist and not the critics and when we do have the privalage of sharing with the artist that we are on thier hollowed ground and homage should be paid. enough said "and I shall rise and go now ............
one of the few pleasures of growing older is glimpsing a bit of that illusive wonderful stuff, wisdom. (I just turned 50.) to me, wisdom is finally realizing, as the quaker hymn teaches, it's only the simple gifts that matter much in life. that's why i'm so enamoured with yeats' poem "innisfree.'' I've never before had a poet express so exactly the way i've come to find sustanance for the soul by simply going alone…
Read the whole commentone of the few pleasures of growing older is glimpsing a bit of that illusive wonderful stuff, wisdom. (I just turned 50.) to me, wisdom is finally realizing, as the quaker hymn teaches, it's only the simple gifts that matter much in life.
that's why i'm so enamoured with yeats' poem "innisfree.''
I've never before had a poet express so exactly the way i've come to find sustanance for the soul by simply going alone into nature and just "being'' for a while.
what's especially wonderful about this gift: you can do that even "while on the roadway or pavements grey.'' and it doesn't cost a cent.
yeats' poem has also taught me that those seemingly irrelevant poet dudes long dead i had to read about in school really did write about things that touch my 21st century life.
and that indeed is a simple gift.
This poem, to me, is one of the great ones. This is because as simple as it is, it says so many things to different people. It has always been one of my favorites. (That and "Good Bye Proud World, I'm Going Home.") I have been to Ireland often but not to this lake. Any peaceful lake will do for a good memory jolt that the poem gives. It can really calm you down when the pressures of the world are beating down on…
Read the whole commentThis poem, to me, is one of the great ones. This is because as simple as it is, it says so many things to different people. It has always been one of my favorites. (That and "Good Bye Proud World, I'm Going Home.") I have been to Ireland often but not to this lake. Any peaceful lake will do for a good memory jolt that the poem gives. It can really calm you down when the pressures of the world are beating down on you; job, work, homelife, bills, kids, etc. The poem simply takes you to a place where you can hear the wind, the sheep in the back ground, the waves on the shore, etc. It is the ultimate escape of the mind at any time that no one can take from you.
You would be amazed to know how many other people know this poem by heart also. My aunt (whom I hated up until this point) was able to recite this poem with me at a family Thanksgiving.
Just enjoy the poem for what it is .. a great escape.
Yugoslavia doesn't exist anymore, and who really cares. Anyhow, I come from one of the states, Montenegro now, mentality similar to Irish. I have first read this poem some 15 years ago, and i always come back to it, or, rather, it comes back to me, when I miss home a lot. I've been living away from my country, but I need it so much, even though it's nothing special, and when Yates comes to visit my mind with his Innisfree, I know it's time to see home. He captured it like noone before, or after him.
I believe this is probably a part of every human being who has ever lived. When times get tough and when life is busy we long for a place to relax and call our own. It is a romantic poem, because he speaks so highly of a place we all would like to be. "I will arise and go now yo Innisfree" sounds impulsive. It makes you wonder whether he actually up and left his life for a few days and visited his oasis, or whether…
Read the whole commentI believe this is probably a part of every human being who has ever lived. When times get tough and when life is busy we long for a place to relax and call our own. It is a romantic poem, because he speaks so highly of a place we all would like to be.
"I will arise and go now yo Innisfree" sounds impulsive. It makes you wonder whether he actually up and left his life for a few days and visited his oasis, or whether he took up his place there only in his mind.
My Grade 11 english class have been discussing this poem for days now and all 32 of us decided that in a world as phony and hectic as ours we all long to have the abilities of Yeats and to write others into our place of peace. To provide others with our vision of paradise.
to me this poem speaks of escapism and the longing in all of us at some time in our lives when we need to be somewhere that gives us comfort and "peace" away from the stresses and everyday woes each of us need our own innisfree