In What Sense is The Lake Isle of Innisfree a Poem about Escapism? - Yeats Escapism

In What Sense is The Lake Isle of Innisfree a Poem about Escapism? - Yeats Escapism

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The Lake Isle of Innisfree summary

"The Lake Isle of Innisfree" is a poem by W.B. Yeats that describes the speaker's longing to leave behind the city and live a simple, peaceful life on the island of Innisfree. The speaker expresses a desire to build a small cabin on the island, where he can grow beans and keep bees. The imagery of the bee-loud glade and the hive for the honeybee emphasizes the peacefulness and serenity that the speaker associates with Innisfree. The poem conveys the sense of serenity and tranquility that the speaker longs for, and the use of imagery and symbolism serves to create a sense of detachment from the real world. The poem presents the natural world as a place of refuge and sanctuary, away from the stresses and distractions of urban life. The poem is about escapism and the desire for a simple and peaceful life in nature.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree themes

"The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by W.B Yeats is a poem that explores several themes, including:

Escapism: The speaker expresses a desire to escape the noise and chaos of the city and to live a simple, peaceful life on the island of Innisfree.

Nature: The poem is set in the natural world and the speaker expresses a longing to be in the peaceful and serene environment that Innisfree represents.

Simplicity: The speaker desires a simple life, living off the land and away from the complexities of modern life.

Solitude: The speaker expresses a desire to live alone in the bee-loud glade, which suggests a longing for solitude and a sense of isolation from the rest of the world.

Emotion: the poem is full of the poet's feelings and emotions, the longing, the yearning, and the sense of peace and serenity that the speaker hopes to find on Innisfree.

Imagery and Symbolism: The use of imagery and symbolism in the poem emphasizes the peacefulness and serenity that the speaker associates with Innisfree, and serves to create a sense of detachment from the real world.

What is Escapism in poetry?

Escapism in poetry refers to the use of poetry as a means of escaping from reality, either through the creation of a fantasy world or through the expression of emotions and experiences that are not directly related to the poet's everyday life. This can include themes such as nature, love, and the supernatural, as well as the use of imagery and symbolism to create a sense of detachment from the real world. Escapist poetry can also be seen as a form of emotional release, allowing the poet to express feelings and thoughts that might be difficult or impossible to express in other ways.

Yeats Escapism

W.B. Yeats is a poet who often explored the theme of escapism in his work. Escapism is the act of escaping from reality, either through the creation of a fantasy world or through the expression of emotions and experiences that are not directly related to everyday life. Yeats uses imagery, symbolism, and metaphors to create a sense of detachment from reality and to explore emotions and feelings that might be difficult or impossible to express in other ways.

In many of his poems, Yeats expresses a desire to escape from the mundane and to find a deeper spiritual and emotional connection to the world around him. He often wrote about the natural world and the peacefulness and serenity that he associated with it. Yeats's poetry is often characterized by a longing for a simpler, more spiritual existence, away from the stresses and distractions of modern life.

Some of Yeats's most famous poems that express escapism include "The Lake Isle of Innisfree," "The Collar Bone of a Hairdresser," "The Stolen Child" and "The Wild Swans at Coole." In all these poems, Yeats uses his characteristic imagery and symbolism to create a sense of detachment from reality and to explore emotions and feelings that might be difficult or impossible to express in other ways.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree is a Poem about Escapism with quotes

"The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by W.B Yeats is considered a poem about escapism because it expresses the speaker's desire to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and find peace and solitude in the natural world. The speaker expresses a longing to leave behind the urban life and live in a simple cabin on the island of Innisfree.

1. The speaker expresses a longing to leave behind the urban life and live in a simple cabin on the island of Innisfree, which is a clear indication of escapism.
2. The imagery of the bee-loud glade and the hive for the honeybee emphasizes the peacefulness and serenity that the speaker associates with Innisfree, which is a key aspect of escapism in poetry.
3. The poem conveys the sense of serenity and tranquility that the speaker longs for, which is a common theme in escapist poetry.
4. The use of imagery and symbolism emphasizes the peacefulness and serenity that the speaker associates with Innisfree, which serves to create a sense of detachment from the real world, a key element of escapism.
5. The poem presents the natural world as a place of refuge and sanctuary, away from the stresses and distractions of urban life, which is a common theme in escapist poetry.

In the poem, the speaker says:

"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 honeybee,

And live alone in the bee-loud glade."

This passage illustrates the speaker's desire to escape the noise and chaos of the city and to live a simple, peaceful life on the island. The imagery of the bee-loud glade and the hive for the honeybee emphasizes the peacefulness and serenity that the speaker associates with Innisfree.

Another example is:

"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."

In this passage, the speaker speaks of the peace that he hopes to find on Innisfree, and the imagery of the cricket's song, the purple glow of noon, and the linnet's wings convey the sense of serenity and tranquility that the speaker longs for, which is the main theme of escapism in this poem.

In conclusion, "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" is a poem about escapism because it expresses the speaker's desire to escape from the stresses and distractions of urban life and to find peace and solitude in the natural world. The use of imagery and symbolism emphasizes the peacefulness and serenity that the speaker associates with Innisfree.