Sunday, May 03, 2009

Inishfree

It is one of those strange early-year days in California - warm, but overcast and raining. A favorite poem for this time of year, this type of day, is Inishfree by W.B.Yeats. An entirely neat side-fact is that it was inspired by Thoreau's Walden



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.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the mourning 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 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.

1 comment:

Mark Turpin said...

thank you for reminding me of the poem and the poet! He deserves much study. How wonderful that California evokes this connection with his work!