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Describe the themes of nature and isolation in "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by William Butler Yeats and "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge" by...

Yeats paints a fairly clear picture of the nature of “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” This place is a small green island that is surrounded by relatively peaceful lake waters, as opposed to the turbulent and crashing waves of an ocean. The resident can tend a small garden and can keep bees; so the land is suitable for some tilling and has many flowering plants. We know at least that crickets are present, and so are the songbirds called linnets. Nature is more prevalent here than the trappings of man are.


Innisfree is already isolated, since it is an island. It’s so thinly settled that peacefulness reigns over man-made sounds. When you can hear crickets, bees, and light water lapping, you realize that no other noises are present to mask and overtake these faint sounds. The place is far enough away from civilization that the night sky is dark, without the interference of city lights. You can clearly see the glimmer of the stars and the planets when you walk out at midnight. The poet admires the island’s nature and isolation so much that he calls up their images when he is back in civilization, reluctantly following the “pavements grey.”


In “Composed upon Westminster Bridge,” Wordsworth has caught the city of London at an early morning hour, before it becomes busy that day. He admires the sunlight hitting the buildings and the bright sky overhead. The light stretches all the way out to the fields on the edges of the city. The bridge crosses the River Thames, and the water below moves slowly. Civilization is more prevalent here than nature is, but you can always find hints of natural life if you look closely enough. This poet is in the habit of doing this.


Is it possible to stand in the midst of a large city and still feel alone and isolated? Yes, especially in the morning when most people are not yet out and about. London had one million residents when this poem was written. Even though this mass of mankind lies so close to where the speaker is standing, he or she still feels a sense of calm and peacefulness. The speaker is alone, in the midst of many. The sunlight and water serve to create this mood, this feeling of distance. Yet the pulse of the city, its “mighty heart,” is still there, housed in the many buildings the sunlight hits. The poet seems pleased to understand this juxtaposition.

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