The Lake Isle of Innisfree

“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” is a lyric poem written by William Butler Yeats, a prominent Irish poet, essayist, and dramatist, who was known for his promotion of Irish culture and its political autonomy. The poem appeared early in Yeats’s career and demonstrates his concern with incorporating positive Irish images and mythology into his writing as part of the Celtic Revival movement of the late 19th century. In the poem, the speaker expresses their longing to escape the city and go to the island of Innisfree, which is located in Lough Gill, a lake in Ireland. Once there, they believe their tranquility will be restored. The poem, written in 1888, was first published in the National Observer in 1890. It then appeared in Yeats’s 1892 collection, The Countess Kathleen and Various Legends and Lyrics.

Yeats had a long career (1885-1938) and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” was one of Yeats’s most popular poems and remained so throughout his long life. During readings, he often chose this poem. While his style shifted and changed, “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” remained an

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