This article provides a complete question-answer guide for Class 9 English Beehive Poem 4 — “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by the famous Irish poet William Butler Yeats. This poem is part of the NCERT Beehive textbook prescribed for ASSEB (Assam State Board of Secondary Education) Class 9 students. The poem beautifully expresses the poet’s deep longing for the peaceful, natural surroundings of Innisfree, an island he remembered fondly from his boyhood, contrasting it with the dull, grey life of the city.
The Poem
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
— W.B. Yeats
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.
Summary / Central Idea
Summary: “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” is a lyric poem by W.B. Yeats in which the poet expresses a deep longing to escape the monotony and dullness of city life and return to the natural beauty of Innisfree — a small island in Lough Gill, County Sligo, Ireland, where he spent time during his boyhood. The poem has three stanzas. In the first stanza, the poet announces his desire to go to Innisfree, where he will build a simple cabin of clay and wattles, grow nine rows of beans, keep a beehive for honeybees, and live alone in the bee-loud clearing. In the second stanza, he describes the peace and beauty he expects to find there — the gentle peace that descends from misty mornings, the shimmering midnight skies, the purple glow of noons, and evenings alive with the flight of linnets (small brown birds). In the third stanza, the poet acknowledges that although he is standing on the grey city pavements or roadways, he can always hear — night and day — the soft sound of lake water lapping by the shore of Innisfree, deep within his heart. Innisfree thus becomes not only a real, cherished place from his past but also an inner sanctuary and a symbol of peace, freedom, and harmony with nature.
Central Idea: The central idea of the poem is the conflict between the noise and lifelessness of urban existence and the poet’s yearning for the tranquility of nature. Through vivid sensory images — sounds of bees and lake water, sights of glimmering midnight and purple noons, and movements of linnet birds — Yeats conveys how powerfully nature calls to the human soul. The poem also suggests that this longing for peace is not just physical but deeply spiritual, residing in the “deep heart’s core.”
Stanza-wise Explanation
Stanza 1 Explanation
“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.”
In this opening stanza, the poet makes a firm resolve: he will get up and go to Innisfree. The repetition of “go” (“arise and go now, and go to Innisfree”) stresses his determination and urgency. He plans to build a small, simple dwelling made of clay and wattles (interwoven sticks and rods — a traditional rural building method). He imagines cultivating nine rows of bean plants and keeping a beehive for honeybees. He wishes to live there entirely alone, in the “bee-loud glade” — a clearing in the woods that is filled with the loud, continuous humming of bees. This stanza creates a picture of a simple, self-sufficient life close to nature, completely removed from city complication. The phrase “bee-loud glade” is particularly vivid: it transforms the glade from a visual image to an auditory one, making the place feel alive and energetic.
Stanza 2 Explanation
“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.”
This stanza is the most lyrical and image-rich of the three. The poet says he will find peace at Innisfree — but not sudden, jarring peace. Rather, peace will arrive gradually and gently, like droplets descending from the misty morning veils (the hazy atmosphere of early morning) down to the level of the earth where the cricket sings. The word “dropping” (repeated) suggests a slow, soothing, almost meditative arrival of calm. The poet then paints three time-pictures of Innisfree: at midnight, the place glimmers with starlight; at noon, it is bathed in a warm purple glow of sunlight filtering through the landscape; and in the evenings, it is alive with the fluttering movements of linnets (small finch-like birds). Together, these images cover the full cycle of day and night, suggesting that peace and beauty are present at Innisfree at every hour. The “veils of the morning” is a metaphor comparing the morning mist to delicate veils, conveying the softness and mystery of dawn.
Stanza 3 Explanation
“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.”
The third stanza opens with the same line as the first — “I will arise and go now” — reinforcing the poet’s determination and creating a sense of cyclical longing. Here, the poet explains why he must go: it is because he is constantly hearing — both night and day — the gentle sound of lake water lapping softly against the shore of Innisfree. Even when he stands on the roadway or on the “pavements grey” of the city, this sound resonates from within him, in the “deep heart’s core” — the very innermost depths of his being. The phrase “pavements grey” is significant: grey represents the dull, lifeless, colourless quality of urban life, sharply contrasting with the vivid colours and sounds of Innisfree. The final line is one of the most celebrated in English poetry. It tells us that the longing for Innisfree is not just a mental wish but a profound emotional and spiritual calling — it comes from the deepest place within the poet’s soul. Innisfree has moved from being a physical location to a state of inner peace that the poet carries within him always.
Thinking about the Poem (Textbook Questions)
Section I
Q1. What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about: (a) the three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (b) what he wants to leave behind.
Answer: Innisfree is a serene, beautiful, and peaceful natural island that the poet remembers from his boyhood. It is a place where nature is alive and abundant — filled with the humming of bees, the singing of crickets, the fluttering of linnet birds, the shimmer of starlight, and the gentle lapping of lake water.
(a) The three things the poet wants to do when he goes back to Innisfree are: (i) build a small cabin of clay and wattles, (ii) plant nine rows of bean plants and keep a beehive for honeybees, and (iii) live alone peacefully in the bee-loud glade.
(b) The poet wants to leave behind the dull and lifeless atmosphere of the city — the grey pavements, the busy roadways, and the noise and monotony of urban life. He longs to escape from the colourless, mechanical existence of city living.
Q2. In the poem, the poet describes Innisfree in vivid images of sights and sounds. Pick out three images each of sight and sound, and sense of peace.
Answer:
Images of Sight:
(i) “Midnight’s all a glimmer” — the midnight sky shimmering with starlight.
(ii) “Noon a purple glow” — the warm, purple-tinted light at noon.
(iii) “Evening full of the linnet’s wings” — the sight of small birds flying about in the evening sky.
Images of Sound:
(i) “Bee-loud glade” — the loud humming of honeybees in the clearing.
(ii) “Where the cricket sings” — the singing of crickets.
(iii) “Lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore” — the soft, rhythmic sound of lake water touching the shore.
Sense of Peace:
(i) “Peace comes dropping slow” — peace arriving gradually and gently.
(ii) “Dropping from the veils of the morning” — peace descending from the hazy, calm morning mist.
(iii) “I hear it in the deep heart’s core” — the deep inner peace that the memory of Innisfree brings to the poet even in the city.
Section II
Q1. Look at the words the poet uses to describe what he sees and hears at Innisfree: (a) “bee-loud glade” (b) “evenings full of the linnet’s wings” (c) “lake water lapping with low sounds” — What pictures do these words create in your mind?
Answer:
(a) “Bee-loud glade” — This phrase creates a vivid picture of an open clearing in the middle of nature, buzzing and alive with the continuous, loud humming of honeybees flying from flower to flower. It suggests a place full of energy, warmth, and the sweetness of natural life. The glade seems vibrant and almost musical with the sound of bees.
(b) “Evenings full of the linnet’s wings” — This phrase creates a beautiful image of the evening sky at Innisfree, filled with the gentle and graceful fluttering of linnet birds. One can imagine the sky tinted with the colours of dusk, dotted with the movement of these small, brown birds swooping and gliding. It conveys a sense of freedom and gentle motion.
(c) “Lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore” — This phrase creates a peaceful auditory image of waves gently and rhythmically touching the shore of the lake, making soft, soothing sounds. It evokes a sense of calm, stillness, and the unhurried rhythm of nature — the kind of sound that can settle an anxious mind.
Q2. Look at these words: “… peace comes dropping slow / Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings.” — What time of day is it? What does peace compare to? What does the cricket’s singing suggest?
Answer: The time of day described here is early morning — the time when morning mist or haze still hangs in the air, giving the surroundings a dreamlike, veiled appearance.
Peace is compared to dewdrops or droplets that fall slowly and gently from the morning mist (the “veils of the morning”) down to the ground. This comparison suggests that peace does not arrive suddenly or forcefully — it descends slowly, softly, and gradually, the way dew settles on the earth.
The cricket’s singing suggests the natural, rhythmic sounds of the earth — crickets typically sing in the early morning and at night. Their singing here represents the gentle background music of nature at Innisfree, enhancing the feeling of calm, solitude, and peace. It also suggests a place far removed from human noise, where only natural sounds can be heard.
Additional Questions
Short Answer Questions
Q1. Who is the poet of “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”? What is the poem about?
Answer: The poet is William Butler Yeats (W.B. Yeats), a famous Irish poet and one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. The poem is about the poet’s deep longing to escape from the dull life of the city and return to the peace and natural beauty of Innisfree, an island from his boyhood memories.
Q2. Where is Innisfree located? Is it a real place?
Answer: Yes, Innisfree is a real place. It is a small, uninhabited island located in Lough Gill, a lake in County Sligo, Ireland. W.B. Yeats had visited it during his boyhood, and its natural beauty left a deep impression on him. He was inspired to write this poem while living in London, longing for the peace of that island.
Q3. What does “wattles” mean? What kind of cabin does the poet plan to build?
Answer: “Wattles” refers to interwoven rods or sticks used as a traditional building material for constructing walls, fences, or roofs. The poet plans to build a very small and simple cabin — a humble dwelling made of clay (mud) and wattles. This suggests a life of simplicity, self-sufficiency, and closeness to nature, far removed from modern urban comforts.
Q4. What is the significance of the phrase “deep heart’s core”?
Answer: “Deep heart’s core” refers to the innermost depths of the poet’s soul or being — the most private and profound part of a person’s emotional life. The phrase is significant because it tells us that the poet’s longing for Innisfree is not merely a surface-level wish but a deep, spiritual yearning. Even while standing on city pavements, the sound of the lake water echoes from within his very soul, suggesting that Innisfree has become an inseparable part of his identity and inner world.
Q5. How does the poet describe the contrast between Innisfree and the city?
Answer: The poet contrasts Innisfree and the city through vivid imagery. Innisfree is described with rich, living images — the buzzing of bees, singing of crickets, glimmering midnight, purple noon, and the fluttering of linnets — all of which suggest colour, life, and peace. The city, on the other hand, is described only as “the roadway” and “the pavements grey” — the word “grey” suggesting dullness, lifelessness, and the absence of colour and beauty. The contrast highlights the poet’s dissatisfaction with urban life and his deep longing for nature.
Q6. Why does the poet repeat the line “I will arise and go now” in both the first and the third stanza?
Answer: The repetition of “I will arise and go now” serves multiple purposes. First, it emphasises the poet’s firm determination and urgent desire to go to Innisfree — it is not a passing thought but a deep resolve. Second, it creates a circular or cyclical structure for the poem, linking the beginning and end and giving the poem a musical, incantatory quality. Third, it shows the persistence of the poet’s longing — despite living in the city, his dream of Innisfree never fades. The repetition also echoes the biblical phrase from the Parable of the Prodigal Son (“I will arise and go”), suggesting a return to one’s true home.
Q7. What literary device is used in “bee-loud glade”? Explain its effect.
Answer: The phrase “bee-loud glade” uses transferred epithet (or compound adjective), where the adjective “loud” is transferred from the bees to the glade. Instead of saying “a glade loud with bees,” the poet compresses the idea into a single hyphenated phrase. The effect is to make the glade itself seem alive with sound — the reader immediately imagines the clearing buzzing with the energy of honeybees. It is also an example of auditory imagery, appealing to the sense of hearing to create a vivid picture of the place.
Q8. What does the linnet symbolise in the poem?
Answer: The linnet is a small, brown finch-like bird common in Ireland and Britain. In the poem, the “evenings full of the linnet’s wings” symbolises freedom, natural grace, and the beauty of the evening at Innisfree. The image of many linnets filling the evening sky with their wings suggests a place that belongs entirely to nature, untouched by human interference. The linnet also represents the simple, living creatures that make Innisfree feel alive, in contrast to the empty, mechanical city. Its wings suggest movement and lightness — qualities entirely absent from the heavy, grey city life.
Long Answer Questions
Q1. “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” can be read both as a poem about a real place and as a poem about a state of mind. Discuss.
Answer: On one level, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” is clearly about a real, specific place. Innisfree is an actual small island in Lough Gill, County Sligo, Ireland, that W.B. Yeats knew from his boyhood. The details in the poem — the clay-and-wattle cabin, the nine bean-rows, the beehive, the linnets, the crickets, and the lake water lapping at the shore — are rooted in memory and observation of a particular landscape. The poem was reportedly inspired by a moment when Yeats, homesick in London, saw a small fountain in a shop window that reminded him of the water at Innisfree.
On a deeper level, however, Innisfree is a state of mind — an inner sanctuary of peace and belonging. By the third stanza, the poem has moved from the external world to the interior world of the poet: he hears the lake water “in the deep heart’s core.” This suggests that Innisfree is not just a place he can travel to physically, but a state of peace and harmony that he carries within himself always. Innisfree becomes a symbol of the soul’s longing for tranquility, freedom from the pressures of modern life, and a return to something pure and natural. In this sense, the poem speaks universally — every person has an “Innisfree” within them, a place or state of being where they feel most themselves, most at peace.
Thus, the poem works simultaneously on both levels: as a nostalgic portrait of a cherished real landscape and as a meditation on the universal human desire for inner peace and escape from the relentless demands of everyday life.
Q2. Describe the various images of nature used in the poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” and explain how they contribute to the poem’s central theme.
Answer: W.B. Yeats uses a rich variety of nature images in “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” to create a vivid, multisensory portrait of the island and to reinforce the poem’s central theme of peace and the longing for nature.
The auditory images are particularly powerful. The “bee-loud glade” fills the imagination with the continuous hum of honeybees — a sound that is both energetic and soothing. The cricket’s singing evokes the natural music of the early morning, a gentle background hum that accompanies the gradual arrival of peace. Most memorably, the “lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore” creates a sound so deeply embedded in the poet’s memory that he hears it even in the city — evidence of how profoundly nature speaks to him.
The visual images cover the full cycle of day and night: “midnight’s all a glimmer” evokes the beautiful shimmer of stars reflected on the lake; “noon a purple glow” suggests the warm, rich quality of midday light in the Irish countryside; and “evening full of the linnet’s wings” paints the evening sky alive with birds. Together, these three time-images suggest that beauty and peace are available at Innisfree at every moment — unlike the city, where time is felt as grinding and monotonous.
The images of the “veils of the morning” personify the morning mist as something soft and delicate, through which peace gently descends. This metaphor transforms peace from an abstract concept into something tangible and almost physical — something that can be felt arriving, like dew.
All of these nature images work together to build a world that is the opposite of the city’s grey pavements and busy roadways. They reinforce the poem’s central theme: that nature is the source of true peace, beauty, and spiritual nourishment, and that the human soul, especially the poet’s, is restless and incomplete when cut off from it.
Q3. How does the poem reflect the Romantic idea of nature as a source of peace and spiritual renewal?
Answer: “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” is deeply rooted in the Romantic tradition, which held that nature was not merely a scenic backdrop but a living, spiritual force capable of healing, inspiring, and renewing the human soul. W.B. Yeats, though writing at the turn of the twentieth century, draws on this Romantic vision powerfully in this poem.
The central impulse of the poem — the poet’s longing to leave the city and return to nature — mirrors the Romantic rejection of industrialisation and urban life in favour of the natural world. The city, represented only by “roadway” and “grey pavements,” is associated with dreariness, constraint, and spiritual emptiness. Innisfree, by contrast, teems with life, beauty, and the possibility of genuine peace.
The Romantic notion that nature offers spiritual renewal is most clearly expressed in the second stanza, where the poet describes peace “dropping slow” from the morning mists — an image of nature as a gentle, almost divine healer. The peace he seeks is not merely physical rest but something deeper: a reconnection with the rhythms of the natural world (the daily cycle from morning to midnight, the sounds of bees, crickets, and water) that restores the soul.
Most powerfully, the final line — “I hear it in the deep heart’s core” — shows that nature’s influence on the poet is not external but internal, spiritual. Nature has become a part of his very identity. This is the Romantic ideal: not just that nature is beautiful to look at, but that it speaks directly to the deepest part of the human self, offering a kind of peace and belonging that no city or human institution can provide.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. Who wrote the poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”?
(a) John Keats
(b) W.B. Yeats
(c) William Wordsworth
(d) P.B. Shelley
Answer: (b) W.B. Yeats
Q2. What material does the poet plan to use to build his cabin at Innisfree?
(a) Wood and stone
(b) Bricks and cement
(c) Clay and wattles
(d) Mud and grass
Answer: (c) Clay and wattles
Q3. How many rows of beans does the poet plan to grow at Innisfree?
(a) Six
(b) Seven
(c) Eight
(d) Nine
Answer: (d) Nine
Q4. What does “bee-loud glade” mean?
(a) A garden full of flowers
(b) An open clearing filled with the loud humming of bees
(c) A forest that is very quiet
(d) A lake surrounded by bees
Answer: (b) An open clearing filled with the loud humming of bees
Q5. What colour does the poet use to describe the city pavements?
(a) Black
(b) Brown
(c) Grey
(d) White
Answer: (c) Grey
Q6. “Peace comes dropping slow / Dropping from the veils of the morning” — what time of day does this describe?
(a) Noon
(b) Midnight
(c) Evening
(d) Early morning
Answer: (d) Early morning
Q7. Where does the poet hear the lake water lapping while he is in the city?
(a) In his dreams
(b) In the deep heart’s core
(c) In his memory only
(d) On the city roadways
Answer: (b) In the deep heart’s core
Q8. Which of the following is NOT an image used by the poet to describe Innisfree?
(a) Midnight’s all a glimmer
(b) Noon a purple glow
(c) Morning full of golden light
(d) Evening full of the linnet’s wings
Answer: (c) Morning full of golden light
Word Meanings / Glossary
| Word / Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Arise | To stand up; to get up |
| Innisfree | A small island in Lough Gill, County Sligo, Ireland |
| Wattles | Interwoven rods or sticks used as building material |
| Glade | An open space or clearing in a forest |
| Bee-loud glade | A clearing full of the loud buzzing of honeybees |
| Veils of the morning | The misty haze of early morning (compared to delicate veils) |
| Cricket | An insect that produces a chirping sound, especially at night and early morning |
| Glimmer | A faint or flickering light; to shine softly |
| Linnet | A small brown finch-like bird found in Ireland and Britain |
| Lapping | The sound of water gently striking or washing against a surface |
| Pavements grey | The grey, dull footpaths of the city; symbol of urban lifelessness |
| Deep heart’s core | The very innermost depths of one’s being or soul |