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The Lake Isle of Innisfree Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. Do you think the speaker will ever make it to Innisfree? Why or why not?
  2. What do you think is so terrible about wherever the speaker is now that makes him so itching to leave?
  3. From the description of the ideal Innisfree, do you think the speaker has ever been there? Why? 
  4. For Pete's sake, dude, just build the house. What, if anything, do you think is keeping the speaker from reaching Innisfree? Why hasn't he already up and gone? 
  5. Do you think the speaker is really serious about wanting to go to Innisfree, or do you think this is just a passing daydream? 
  6. What's with the form of the poem? Do the quatrains (four-line stanzas) and rhymes contribute to the meaning in any way?
  7. Why does the speaker want peace so badly? And why does peace come "dropping slow"? If he's so hungry for some quiet time, why can't he just make that happen in the city?