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Question
1. What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about:
- the three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (stanza I);
- what he hears and sees there and its effect on him (stanza II);
- what he hears in his “heart’s core” even when he is far away from Innisfree (stanza III).
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).
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?
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Solution
1.
- The poet wants to build a small cabin with clay and twisted sticks, have nine rows of bean plantation and a beehive. He wants to live there alone in the open place.
- He draws peace and tranquillity by listening to the crickets’ sound, watching the glimmering midnight, the afternoon with purple glow and the linnets flying in the evening.
- Even when he is far away from Innisfree, he hears the sound of the lake water washing the shore in his “heart's core”.
2. The poet contrasts the simple, natural and peaceful Innisfree to the urban setting. The poet depicts Innisfree in gorgeous dreamy light, such as “purple glow”, “glimmer”, and in vibrant sounds, such as cricket's song and buzzing of the bees. On the other hand, he depicts the place where he now stands, i.e. the roadways or pavements, as “grey”, lacking beauty and peace.
3. Although Innisfree is the poet’s boyhood haunt, it also represents his state of mind. The poet wishes to escape to Innisfree as it is more peaceful than where he is now−the city. Innisfree is representative of what the poet considers an ideal place to live, which is devoid of the restless humdrum of his life.
Yes, the poet actually misses the place of his boyhood days. Even when he is away from Innisfree , he recalls the sound of the lake water washing the shore.
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