Tuesday Poem: “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by William Butler Yeats
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
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, 1865 – 1939
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Sunday May 8 was Mother’s Day and The Lake Isle of Innisfree was one of my mother’s favourite poems, that she requested to be read at her funeral. My sister read the poem – beautifully – and as May 8 is also her birthday, I felt that this was clearly the only choice for my Tuesday Poem this week.
In terms of commentary, I believe that the beauty and lyricism of the poem, reflective of Yeats’ early style, speaks for itself—as really, all poetry and writing should, without need for interpretation or explanation—and the poet is also sufficiently well known to preclude the need for biography. For those who wish to know more, an online biography is available here.
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Beautiful, and a perfect choice 🙂 Your Tuesday poems have really gotten me interested in poetry.
Wen—that is a huge compliment: thank you!:)