Lake Isle Of Innisfree

Themes

Yearning for peace and nature’s healing

Stylistic techniques

Repetition, assonance, enjambment, rich, painterly imagery and soft synesthesia

“While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey”

The speaker contrasts his current, bleak environment with his dream of a tranquil life on Innisfree.

 “I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,”

The repeated refrain expresses a persistent, almost spiritual desire to escape urban life and find calm.

“a small cabin… of clay and wattles made”

The imagery of building a small cabin evokes a return to natural, self-sufficient living.

“for peace comes dropping slow”

Above all, the poem emphasises the slow, gentle arrival of peace, showing nature’s healing power as gradual and restorative, offering solace to the restless soul.

“I will arise and go now”

The repetition functions like a personal mantra or prayer, reinforcing the intensity of the speaker’s longing and the spiritual nature of his desire.

“peace comes dropping slow”

The use of long vowel sounds creates a gentle, flowing rhythm that mimics the gradual, soothing arrival of peace.

“I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, / And a small cabin build there…”

The poem’s structure mimics a stream of consciousness, which captures the dreamy, wandering quality of the speaker’s thoughts

“Midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow”

Vivid imagery paints a serene, almost mystical picture of nature, enhancing the spiritual comfort it offers.

“I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore”

The auditory imagery emphasizes calmness and contrasts sharply with the harshness of city life, further highlighting the poem’s theme of escape and tranquility.