The Lake Isle of Innisfree (Poem)

The Lake Isle of Innisfree (Poem) Question and Answer
 NCERT Class 9 Beehive Text Book

Thinking about the Poem

Question I

(1) What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about:

Answer Innisfree is a beautiful lake island where nature is in its full swing. It is a peaceful place where crickets sing. The poet wants to visit this place to enjoy the peace during his childhood.

(i) The three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (stanza I);

Answer The poet wants to build a small hut of clay and wattles. He wanted to plant nine bean rows and to keep hive for the honeybees.

(ii) What he hears and sees there and its effect on him (stanza II);

Answer He hears and sees the crickets singing. He also enjoy the purple rays of Sun in the noon.

(iii) What he hears in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree (stanza III).

Answer He hears in the deep heart’s core the low sound of water flowing towards the shore when he is far away from Innisfree.

Question 2 By now you may have concluded that Innisfree is a simple, natural place, full of beauty and peace. How does the poet contrast it with where he now stands? (Read stanza III.)

Answer The poet contracts the clay and wattle made cabins, bee loud glade , morning with dews and crickets sound , midnight with glimmer, noon with purple glow, evening with linnet’s song lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore.

Question 3 Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the place of his boyhood days?

Answer Innisfree represents a state of mind. The poet wishes to go to that place because it is more peaceful than where he is living now i.e. the city. Innisifree is a representation of what the poet considers an ideally perfect place to live. Yes , the poet actually misses the place of his boyhood days. He still remembers the sound of the lake water washing the shore.

Question II

Question 1 Look at the words the poet uses to describe what he sees and hears at Innisfree

(i) bee-loud glade
(ii) evenings full of the linnet’s wings
(iii) lake water lapping with low sounds
What pictures do these words create in your mind?

Answer 

(i) These words create the picture of the hive and honeybee humming all around.

(ii) These words bring image of a Linnet bird flying across the evening sky . When it flutters its wings, it looks beautiful. And when the bird sits on a tree amidst beautiful natural scene

(iii) These words evoke the soft sound of lake’s water washing the shore.

Question 2 Look at these words;
… peace comes dropping slow
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings

What do these words mean to you? What do you think “comes dropping slow…from the veils of the morning”? What does “to where the cricket sings” mean?

Answer The given lines tells us that peacefulness of mind can be slowly attained from the natural surrounding. It is the peace that comes slow from the veils of the morning. The phrase ” to where the cricket sings ” indicates a peaceful place where one can hear the vibrant sound of nature and its creatures. The pleasing and melodious sound of cricket greets the morning. It adds sweetness to the serenity of the place.