In Touch

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In "Touch," many authors have different ways of expressing certain situations. Some seek to entertain, while others teach lessons that are frequently overlooked in everyday life. In the poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by William Butler Yeats, I believe the purpose is to bring readers in touch with their own lives and surroundings. In the poem, there is an anonymous character that longs for peace and speculates on the moral of the story: being in touch with life is more satisfying than any worldly possession. The speaker is stimulated to speak when he hears the "lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore" and is reminded of the peace on the Lake Isle of Innisfree. In "The Lake Isle of Innisfree," the anonymous character is imagining the peacefulness that he is longing for in his life. The character says, "I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree," and then continues to portray the life that he is lacking by residing in the city. The character goes on to describe the cabin which he intends to build out of clay and wattles, the nine bean rows he will have, and the hive for the honeybees. He then moves on and recounts the sounds of water lapping and crickets singing. Following that, he depicts the midnight's glimmer, the moon's glow, and the evenings full of linnets' wings. I believe that William Butler Yeats' main intention in writing this poem is to encourage readers to reflect on the peace that the character is longing for in their own lives. I also sense that the character in this story is expressing Yeats' actual feelings about his own longing for peace. Likewise, I feel that the character's desire to be on the Isle of Innisfree and to create life by growing plants and living free is one of the most overlooked and important aspects of human existence. In the poem, the character is wishing that he were young once again so he could experience the freedom and peace that he and every person had when they were adolescents. I also feel that the character is fantasizing about leaving the city and going to Innisfree so he will no longer have to confront the problems in his life.

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