Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Mr. Dunford
Poem Overview
Poem Background Information
The poem symbolises Yeats’ youth and establishes a contrast between busy London and the peaceful country. In London, he passed by
a fountain, and the water dropping into the pool of the fountain reminded him of the water of Lough Gill.
Poem Context
Yeats thought of the idea to write the poem on the busy London streets. When Yeats wrote the poem Ireland was going through
economic and political turmoil, and Yeats and his family were struggling financially. Ireland was an agricultural country in the
nineteenth century, but British landlords controlled many farms. Farmers had fought for almost three centuries for greater say in
their livelihood. In the 1880s, they finally achieved some success.
Poem Overview Continued
What it’s about?
This poem is about peace, tranquillity and independence. The poem takes the reader to a small island in the
middle of the lake. The poem takes reader away from the fast paced city life. The poem’s speaker
recollects Innisfree, journeying both emotional and spiritually to a place one enjoyed in youth.
Although the speaker can not physically return to the lake, the speaker can return in thought.
Terminology
‘wattles’: upright wooden poles or stakes through which sticks and branches are laced horizontally and
daubed with clay to make weatherproof walls.
‘glade’: an open area in a woodland area
‘veils’: a head covering garment
‘all a glimmer’: may refer to the light of the stars
‘purple glow’: may refer to sunlight or flowers
‘linnet’: a finch, a tiny bird that eats seeds
‘roadway’: refers to Fleet Street in London, England