The Lake Isle of Innisfree Class 9 Summary | NCERT Notes 2026

Reference to Context (RTC) Questions (1 Mark Each)

Extract 1: Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow:

“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 honey-bee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade.”

(i) Where does the poet urgently wish to go, and what is his immediate plan? The poet intensely wishes to travel to the peaceful Lake Isle of Innisfree, where he plans to build a small, rustic cabin made entirely of “clay and wattles.”

(ii) What specific agricultural plans does the poet have to sustain himself? To live a self-sufficient and simple life, the poet plans to plant exactly “nine bean-rows” and keep a hive for the honey-bee to produce his own food.

(iii) What does the beautiful phrase “bee-loud glade” suggest about the island’s environment? The phrase “bee-loud glade” suggests an open, vibrant clearing in the forest that is filled with the soothing, natural, and musical buzzing of honey-bees.

(iv) Why does the poet express the specific desire to live “alone”? The poet wishes to live alone because he wants to escape the chaotic, crowded, and stressful life of the modern city to find deep personal tranquility.

(v) Name the poem and its poet. This highly musical stanza is taken from the famous poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” composed by the legendary poet William Butler Yeats.

Extract 2: Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow:

“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.”

(i) How does the poet describe the unique arrival of peace at Innisfree? The poet beautifully describes that “peace comes dropping slow,” gently and naturally descending from the misty skies down to the earth.

(ii) What do the “veils of the morning” poetically refer to? The phrase “veils of the morning” poetically refers to the soft morning mist or fog that covers the island at dawn, making it look peaceful and mysterious.

(iii) What distinct visual imagery is used to describe midnight and noon on the island? The poet uses rich visual imagery by describing the island’s midnight as a magical, starry “glimmer,” while the noon is bathed in a vibrant “purple glow” of sunlight.

(iv) What makes the evening at Innisfree so special and lively? The evening is made incredibly special because the sky is fluttering full of the “linnet’s wings,” adding the sweet songs of these small birds to the peaceful atmosphere.

(v) Which tiny insect’s song contributes to the peaceful environment of the island morning? The soothing, rhythmic song of the cricket significantly contributes to the tranquil and natural music of the island’s morning environment.

Extract 3: Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow:

“I will arise and go now, for always night and day I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, I hear it in the deep heart’s core.”

(i) Why does the poet repeat the opening phrase “I will arise and go now”? The poet repeats this phrase to emphasize his intense, urgent, and unbreakable determination to finally escape his dreary city life and travel to the island.

(ii) What constant sound continuously haunts the poet’s mind night and day? The poet’s mind is constantly haunted by the natural, soothing, and rhythmic sound of the “lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore.”

(iii) What is the stark contrast presented between the city and the island in these lines? The stark contrast is between the dull, lifeless, and depressing reality of the city’s “pavements grey” and the vibrant, musical memory of the natural lake.

(iv) Explain the profound significance of the phrase “deep heart’s core.” The phrase signifies the absolute deepest, most spiritual part of the poet’s soul, proving that the pure memory of nature permanently resides within him, no matter where he stands physically.

(v) Identify the main poetic device used in the phrase “lake water lapping with low sounds.” The prominent poetic device used here is alliteration, which can be clearly seen in the rhythmic repetition of the consonant ‘l’ sound in “lake,” “lapping,” and “low.”