The Romanticism movement of the 1800s influenced many authors such as William Yeats to adapt the Romantic ideology of Ireland and present this in their poems. Yeats’ romantic ideology was that escapism provides people with a sense of peace and meaning, and that Ireland should return to its tradition. This ideology was important to Yeats as during the late 1800s Ireland was under England’s rule, and many of their traditions had been suppressed. Yeats’ poems The Lake Isle of Innisfree and The Stolen Child can be viewed through a Dominant Reading where he presents his romantic ideology and aims to encourage the appreciation of nature and Ireland’s traditional myths and legends. The Lake Isle of Innisfree was written in 1888, while Yeats was living in London. His desire to return to his birthplace Ireland is evident in the nostalgic tone of these poems. The Stolen Child was written two years prior to Innisfree, and mirrors Yeats’ realisation that his romantic ideology may be flawed. Through the literary conventions of symbolism, structure and form, and imagery, a modern reader is invited to also see the importance of nature and Ireland’s traditions, however critique escapism as it challenges these values.
Symbolism in Innisfree portrays the island as a naturalistic utopia. The romantic feature of appreciating nature is shown consistently throughout the poem as Innisfree is likened to heaven. A calm peaceful atmosphere “drop[s] from the veils of the morning”. This gives connotations of a bride, symbolic of unity, togetherness and purity. Yeats’ showcases the romantic ideology as he wishes to build “a small cabin” alone on the island, emphasising the importance of the common man. The walls of the cabin are symbolic of the barrier that the persona wishes to place between himself and reality. Yeats’ interest in mysticism ties into the reading that Innisfree is not a physical island, but a spiritual existence within the speaker’s mind. This can be seen as the language...