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The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W. B. Yeats

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

Poet
W. B. Yeats
Composed
1890 · Victorian
Form
lyric
Core theme
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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

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§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
Meter
free verse
Rhyme
ABAB CDCD EFEF

§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

What is Innisfree and is it a real place?

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.

What does "bee-loud glade" mean?

A glade is a small open area in a forest or near water. "Bee-loud" is a unique adjective created by Yeats — it suggests that the clearing is buzzing with the sound of bees. This phrase is one of the most celebrated in the poem because it evokes an immediate auditory image of the location.

Why does the speaker repeat "I will arise and go now" at the start of stanzas one and three?

The repetition acts like a refrain, pulling the speaker back to his intention — almost as if he needs to keep reminding (or convincing) himself to leave. By stating it twice while still ending up on the pavement, the poem hints that his departure is continually postponed. This creates a subtle tension between desire and action.

Is this poem about escaping city life?

Partly, yes. Yeats wrote it while he was living in London, feeling a disconnect from the Irish landscape he cherished. But the theme goes beyond just city versus country. It touches on the universal human experience of holding onto a place you long for—one that symbolizes peace—while being stuck in a place that doesn't feel like home.

What does "peace comes dropping slow" mean?

Yeats conveys that peace at Innisfree doesn't arrive all at once or with a bang — it envelops you slowly, much like morning mist or dew gently falling from the air. This imagery implies that true peace requires time to develop and cannot be rushed; it gradually enters through the senses, flowing in with a quiet, natural rhythm.

What is the poem's structure and does it rhyme?

The poem consists of three stanzas, each with four lines (quatrains). Each stanza uses an ABAB rhyme scheme, meaning lines 1 and 3 rhyme with each other, as do lines 2 and 4. The lines are lengthy and flowing, nearly hexameter, creating a slow, wave-like rhythm that reflects the gentle lapping of lake water.

What does "the deep heart's core" mean?

It refers to the core of the speaker's inner self — not just a fleeting emotion but something essential and unalterable. Yeats suggests that his desire for Innisfree is more than just a mood; it's an integral part of his identity. This phrase has turned into one of the most frequently quoted conclusions in Irish poetry.

Is this poem connected to Thoreau's Walden?

Directly, yes. Yeats was reading Walden while writing the poem, and the parallels are clear: a man in a hectic world longs to escape to a simple, self-made life in nature. The nine bean rows distinctly mirror Thoreau's bean field at Walden Pond. Yeats openly acknowledged this influence.

Citation

Cite this poem

MLA

Yeats, W. B. "The Lake Isle of Innisfree." 1890. Storgy, https://storgy.com/poems/the-lake-isle-of-innisfree-william-butler-yeats/.

APA

Yeats, W. B. (1890). The lake isle of innisfree. Storgy. https://storgy.com/poems/the-lake-isle-of-innisfree-william-butler-yeats/

TeacherAP Lit Q1 scaffold — preview

Row A — Thesis

1 pt

In 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree,' Yeats constructs the speaker's longing for retreat not as simple escapism but as a form of spiritual resistance: the imagined pastoral life at Innisfree becomes the only space in which the self can survive …

  • Row B — Evidence + Commentary4 pts
  • Row C — Sophistication1 pt
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