In this post ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree Question Answer Class 9 English’ we are discussing the answers to all the questions from “Thinking about the Poem” (The Lake Isle of Innisfree – Class 9th English, Beehive).
I want to remind you that you can also read the summary of The Lake Isle of Innisfree for a better understanding of the poem.
The Lake Isle of Innisfree Thinking about the Poem
Below are the NCERT “Thinking about the Poem” questions from The Lake Isle of Innisfree.
I. Q1. What kind of place is Innisfree? Think about:
(i) The three things the poet wants to do when he goes back there (stanza I):
- Build a small cabin with clay and wattles (twigs).
- Grow nine rows of beans.
- Keep a beehive and live alone in the quiet glade filled with the buzzing of bees.
(ii) What he hears and sees there and its effect on him (stanza II):
- He hears the crickets singing, the linnet birds fluttering, and feels the quietness of peace.
- He sees misty mornings, shining midnight stars, glowing noontime, and lively evenings.
- These bring him deep peace and harmony with nature.
(iii) What he hears in his “heart’s core” even when far away (stanza III):
- He hears the gentle sound of lake water lapping against the shore.
- This sound echoes in his “heart’s core” and gives him inner calm, even in the noisy city.
I. Q2. By now you may have concluded that Innisfree is a simple, natural place, full of beauty and peace. How does the poet contrast Innisfree with where he now stands?
Ans: Innisfree is full of natural beauty, peace, and calmness, a place of harmony with nature. The city, where the poet stands, is noisy, crowded, and dull. The contrast shows the poet’s dissatisfaction with urban life and his yearning for natural solitude.
I. Q3. Do you think Innisfree is only a place, or a state of mind? Does the poet actually miss the place of his boyhood days?
Ans: Innisfree is both a real place (an island in Ireland) and also a state of mind. For the poet, it symbolizes peace, simplicity, and closeness to nature. Yes, he deeply misses it, because he had spent his boyhood days near it. That memory remains alive in his heart and gives him comfort even when he is far away.
II. Q1. Look at the words the poet uses. What pictures do they create?
- “Bee-loud glade” → An open space in a forest filled with the gentle humming and buzzing of bees.
- “Evenings full of the linnet’s wings” → Birds (linnets) flying and singing at sunset, filling the sky with movement and sound.
- “Lake water lapping with low sounds” → Soft, soothing sound of water gently touching the shore.
These phrases create vivid images of calm, musical, and peaceful natural scenes.
II. Q2. Meaning of the words:
- “…peace comes dropping slow / Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings”
- The poet means that peace in Innisfree comes gently and gradually, like the morning mist falling slowly.
- “Veils of the morning” → the thin mist or fog that covers the morning.
- “To where the cricket sings” → peace spreads even to the ground, where tiny insects like crickets chirp.
- In simple words: Peace is everywhere in Innisfree — in the sky, the morning mist, the air, and even the smallest corners of the earth.
View all Chapter: NCERT Solutions for Class 9th English