Skip to content
Storgy

The Annotated Edition

The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W. B. Yeats

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

A man in a bustling city yearns to escape to a small Irish island named Innisfree.

Poet
W. B. Yeats
Year
1890
Form
lyric
The PoemFull text

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

W. B. Yeats, 1890

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 gray, I hear it in the deep heart's core.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

A man in a bustling city yearns to escape to a small Irish island named Innisfree. There, he envisions constructing a modest cabin, cultivating beans, and ultimately discovering tranquility. The entire poem unfolds like a vivid daydream; however, the final stanza unveils that he remains rooted on a gray pavement, only able to hear the lake in his mind. It's a poem that reflects a deep longing for a simpler, quieter existence that feels tantalizingly close yet still unattainable.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

    Editor's note

    The speaker begins with a powerful declaration that feels like a promise: "I will arise and go," which has a biblical resonance reminiscent of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. He quickly specifies his destination: Innisfree, a small island on Lough Gill in County Sligo, Ireland, where Yeats spent time as a child. The repetition of "go" emphasizes his strong desire to escape his current surroundings. He then paints a picture of the life he envisions: a hand-built cabin made of clay and wattles, nine rows of beans, a beehive, and the peace of a glade filled with buzzing bees. The details he provides reflect a humble and self-sufficient lifestyle — no extravagance, just the essentials and a connection to nature.

  2. And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

    Editor's note

    This stanza captures the sensory essence of the poem. Peace isn't something you can seize — it "comes dropping slow," like dew or honey, gently filtering through the morning mist. Yeats then depicts Innisfree at three different times of day: midnight shimmering (likely moonlight reflecting on water), noon glowing with purple (heather covering the hills), and evening filled with the sounds of linnets (small songbirds). The effect is almost mesmerizing — the island seems to exist in a timeless, soft rhythm, free from the ticking of clocks or the clamor of the city. Notice how the speaker shifts from "I will" in stanza one to "I shall" here: they are sinking deeper into the dream.

  3. I will arise and go now, for always night and day

    Editor's note

    The opening line circles back to the poem's first words, but this time we understand the source of the longing: the speaker can hear the lake water lapping "in the deep heart's core," even while he's on the gray city pavements. The word "gray" is the only color in the poem that feels cold and lifeless — everything else sparkles, radiates purple, or is vibrant with sound. While the city isn't named, it represents any place that isn't Innisfree. The poem concludes not with a departure but with the pain of remaining — the speaker is still stuck on the pavement, with the island only alive within him.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is filled with a quiet urgency — the speaker desperately wants to leave, but the poem avoids slipping into bitterness or despair. Instead, it offers a meditative calm, akin to someone closing their eyes and breathing deeply. The rich, musical phrases ("bee-loud glade," "lake water lapping with low sounds") bring the imagined setting to life, contrasting sharply with the dull gray pavement beneath the speaker's feet. By the end, there's a soft ache in the tone: the dream feels vivid, yet the dreamer remains still.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Innisfree
The island represents the poem's main symbol for an ideal, simple life — one filled with peace, solitude, and a connection to nature. For Yeats, it was linked to his own childhood memories, but in the poem, it serves as a universal representation of the place or state of being that anyone might yearn for.
The cabin of clay and wattles
The intentionally simple, hand-crafted shelter represents a rejection of modern industrial living. It recalls Thoreau's hut at Walden Pond—suggesting that returning to basics can lead to freedom and a deeper understanding of oneself.
The bee-loud glade
Bees are often linked to hard work, sweetness, and the rhythms of nature. A glade buzzing with bees teems with vibrant, organic life — a stark contrast to the mechanical clatter of a city. Their buzzing becomes a symbol of the kind of busyness the speaker truly desires.
The gray pavement
The poem offers a singular portrayal of urban reality. "Gray" stands out as the only dull, lifeless word amidst a vibrant mix of purple, glimmer, and golden bees. It symbolizes everything that confines the speaker: the chaos of modern life, constant noise, and a disconnect from nature.
Lake water lapping
The sound of the lake, which exists only in the speaker's imagination, embodies a deep and lasting longing. It resonates with him "in the deep heart's core," suggesting that his yearning for escape and peace isn't just a fleeting thought but a core part of his identity.

§06Form & structure

Form & structure

Form
lyric

§07Historical context

Historical context

Yeats penned this poem in 1888 while living in London, feeling homesick for the west of Ireland where he had spent his childhood. He later mentioned that a shop window on the Strand inspired him: he noticed a small fountain trickling over a ball, heard the sound of the water, and was suddenly flooded with memories of Lough Gill. Innisfree is an actual island — its name comes from the Irish *Inis Fraoigh*, which means "Heather Island." The poem first appeared in 1890 in the *National Observer* and was later included in *The Countess Kathleen and Various Legends and Lyrics* (1892). It reflects the influence of the American Transcendentalist movement, especially Thoreau's *Walden* (1854), which Yeats was reading at that time. This poem became one of the most beloved in the English language and, much to Yeats's later annoyance, was the one he was most frequently asked to recite publicly throughout his life.

§08FAQ

Questions readers ask

Yes, Innisfree is a small island located on Lough Gill in County Sligo, in western Ireland. Yeats spent his childhood summers nearby, and the place holds many personal memories for him. You can visit the lake today, although the island itself is uninhabited and not open to the public.

More by W. B. Yeats

Browse all W. B. Yeats poems →

Themes in this poem

Poems about homePoems about lonelinessPoems about memoryPoems about nature