1
POETRY CHEAT SHEET – Amanda Kruger & Elsabé Steyn
EUROPEAN POETRY
POEM THE LAKE ISLE INVERSNAID SONNET 73 ON THE RECIPROCITIES
OF INNISFREE GRASSHOPPER
AND CRICKET
POET William Butler Yeats Gerard Manley Hopkins William Shakespeare John Keats Cathal Lagan (1937-)
1865-1939 1844-1880 1564-1616 1795-1821 (Irish)
(Irish) (English) (English) (English) Priest in Northern Cape.
BACK- Sonnets 1-126 are
GROUND TO While living in a smog- Hopkins visited the area addressed to a beloved Romantic poet who This poem is a tribute to
filled London, Yeats of Inversnaid when he friend. focused on nature and its the poet’s beloved
POEM longs to be back in the took a break from his Shakespeare refers to boundless beauty; not mother. He remembers
Irish countryside priestly duties. old age as the autumn limited by society / how an act of rolling wool
where he spent much of one’s life, it will soon mankind. into a ball accumulated
of his childhood. He was enchanted by change into winter, into so much more.
the unspoiled beauty of which will He wrote this sonnet in 15 As his mother knitted
the waterfall and metaphorically, shortly minutes as part of a jerseys for him, he now
surrounding countryside. lead to parting and competition between him knits these lines into a
death itself. and a friend. poetic memory for her.
SETTING: Physical: London Inversnaid Falls in Loch No specific setting Octave: A grassy hillside / Northern Ireland.
Daydream: Small (lake) Lomond, Scotland mentioned. open field.
WHERE? island of Innesfree
Sestet: Next to a warm
stove in a house.
WHEN? While the poet was 1881 at the height of the 1600s Octave: A scorching hot 1940s when he was still a
working in London in industrial revolution. summer’s day young boy.
the late 19th century. Season - autumn
Sestet: A cold, quiet,
frosty winter’s evening.
Lyrical – speaker Lyrical poem, the speaker
TYPE longingly recalls his Lyrical poem – records a Elizabethan / English / Italian or Petrarchan recalls tender childhood
time spent at Innisfree. personal experience. Shakespearean Sonnet. Sonnet. memories.
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STRUCTURE - Three four-line - Four quatrains (4 -14 lines - 14 lines -Three stanzas of varying
stanzas (quatrains). lines). -Three quatrains + - Octave (8 lines) – main length. They are linked
rhyming couplet. idea of poem together by the use of
- Each stanza consists - First three stanzas are - Sestet (6 lines)- conjunctions.
of one complete single sentences. - Each consists of only conclusion and/or
sentence. one sentence. extension of ideas in - Each stanza consists of
- The last quatrain - Rhyme: abab cdcd efef octave. one sentence.
- Rhyme: abab cdcd consists of 2 sentences. gg - Rhyme: abbaabba
efef cdecde - Free verse – no set
- Rhyme: aabb ccdd eeff Rhythm - Iambic - Rhythm: Iambic rhyme scheme.
gghh. pentameter. pentameter
Volta/break after line 12. - Volta/break after line 8. - First person point of
view.
TITLE Innisfree is a small, Inversnaid refers to a Shakespeare numbered ‘On’ tells us that the poem Reciprocities refers to the
uninhabited island in stream that races all his sonnets. will be about these two practice of exchanging
the lake, Lough Gill. downhill over rocks to They do not have titles insects. Their songs things for mutual benefit.
the lake in the village of like other poems have. contain the never-ending
Yeats used to spend the Inversnaid area. poetry (a constant source The loving relationship
his summers in Sligo. sound, beauty, inspiration between mother and child
He longs for the deep and pure enjoyment) of is emphasised.
spiritual fulfilment/ the world.
peace that city life There is never a time The sub-title shows that
cannot offer. when the world is without this is a tribute to his
beauty or sound. mother.
TONE Lines 1-2: Determined, Line 1-6: admiration and Mournful, sad or gloomy. Joyful / light-hearted. Reflective, nostalgic,
even desperate. celebration of nature – It changes to a tone of admiring, appreciative.
light-hearted. resignation or Happy / cheerful / delight.
Nostalgic, dreamy. acceptance = he Gentle, loving, caring.
Line 7-16: hopeless and accepts and makes Excitement / enthusiasm
Peaceful and longing / disheartened/ urgency peace with the reality / Strict/firm but still loving
wistful. pleading / desperation / inevitability of ageing Admiration / appreciation. when his mother dishes
concerned. and death. out instructions.
MOOD / Line 1 – Sense of Admiration/Appreciation Sombre or serious for Peacefulness Gentle and reflective.
STATE OF urgency, reflective. of nature or the natural the first part, but it ends Admiration / amazement.
First 2 stanzas: Joyful environment. on a confident/optimistic One feels the respectful,
MIND Last stanza: belief that love will grow No matter how harsh/bad reciprocal love between
Disappointment, Despair/anguish/distress /intensify as death things might seem, we mother and son. The
disillusionment, /anxiety over nature’s closes in. can always find new hope mother’s parenting style is
hopelessness. ruin / destruction. and comfort. gentle, but still strict.
POETRY CHEAT SHEET – Amanda Kruger & Elsabé Steyn
EUROPEAN POETRY
POEM THE LAKE ISLE INVERSNAID SONNET 73 ON THE RECIPROCITIES
OF INNISFREE GRASSHOPPER
AND CRICKET
POET William Butler Yeats Gerard Manley Hopkins William Shakespeare John Keats Cathal Lagan (1937-)
1865-1939 1844-1880 1564-1616 1795-1821 (Irish)
(Irish) (English) (English) (English) Priest in Northern Cape.
BACK- Sonnets 1-126 are
GROUND TO While living in a smog- Hopkins visited the area addressed to a beloved Romantic poet who This poem is a tribute to
filled London, Yeats of Inversnaid when he friend. focused on nature and its the poet’s beloved
POEM longs to be back in the took a break from his Shakespeare refers to boundless beauty; not mother. He remembers
Irish countryside priestly duties. old age as the autumn limited by society / how an act of rolling wool
where he spent much of one’s life, it will soon mankind. into a ball accumulated
of his childhood. He was enchanted by change into winter, into so much more.
the unspoiled beauty of which will He wrote this sonnet in 15 As his mother knitted
the waterfall and metaphorically, shortly minutes as part of a jerseys for him, he now
surrounding countryside. lead to parting and competition between him knits these lines into a
death itself. and a friend. poetic memory for her.
SETTING: Physical: London Inversnaid Falls in Loch No specific setting Octave: A grassy hillside / Northern Ireland.
Daydream: Small (lake) Lomond, Scotland mentioned. open field.
WHERE? island of Innesfree
Sestet: Next to a warm
stove in a house.
WHEN? While the poet was 1881 at the height of the 1600s Octave: A scorching hot 1940s when he was still a
working in London in industrial revolution. summer’s day young boy.
the late 19th century. Season - autumn
Sestet: A cold, quiet,
frosty winter’s evening.
Lyrical – speaker Lyrical poem, the speaker
TYPE longingly recalls his Lyrical poem – records a Elizabethan / English / Italian or Petrarchan recalls tender childhood
time spent at Innisfree. personal experience. Shakespearean Sonnet. Sonnet. memories.
, 2
STRUCTURE - Three four-line - Four quatrains (4 -14 lines - 14 lines -Three stanzas of varying
stanzas (quatrains). lines). -Three quatrains + - Octave (8 lines) – main length. They are linked
rhyming couplet. idea of poem together by the use of
- Each stanza consists - First three stanzas are - Sestet (6 lines)- conjunctions.
of one complete single sentences. - Each consists of only conclusion and/or
sentence. one sentence. extension of ideas in - Each stanza consists of
- The last quatrain - Rhyme: abab cdcd efef octave. one sentence.
- Rhyme: abab cdcd consists of 2 sentences. gg - Rhyme: abbaabba
efef cdecde - Free verse – no set
- Rhyme: aabb ccdd eeff Rhythm - Iambic - Rhythm: Iambic rhyme scheme.
gghh. pentameter. pentameter
Volta/break after line 12. - Volta/break after line 8. - First person point of
view.
TITLE Innisfree is a small, Inversnaid refers to a Shakespeare numbered ‘On’ tells us that the poem Reciprocities refers to the
uninhabited island in stream that races all his sonnets. will be about these two practice of exchanging
the lake, Lough Gill. downhill over rocks to They do not have titles insects. Their songs things for mutual benefit.
the lake in the village of like other poems have. contain the never-ending
Yeats used to spend the Inversnaid area. poetry (a constant source The loving relationship
his summers in Sligo. sound, beauty, inspiration between mother and child
He longs for the deep and pure enjoyment) of is emphasised.
spiritual fulfilment/ the world.
peace that city life There is never a time The sub-title shows that
cannot offer. when the world is without this is a tribute to his
beauty or sound. mother.
TONE Lines 1-2: Determined, Line 1-6: admiration and Mournful, sad or gloomy. Joyful / light-hearted. Reflective, nostalgic,
even desperate. celebration of nature – It changes to a tone of admiring, appreciative.
light-hearted. resignation or Happy / cheerful / delight.
Nostalgic, dreamy. acceptance = he Gentle, loving, caring.
Line 7-16: hopeless and accepts and makes Excitement / enthusiasm
Peaceful and longing / disheartened/ urgency peace with the reality / Strict/firm but still loving
wistful. pleading / desperation / inevitability of ageing Admiration / appreciation. when his mother dishes
concerned. and death. out instructions.
MOOD / Line 1 – Sense of Admiration/Appreciation Sombre or serious for Peacefulness Gentle and reflective.
STATE OF urgency, reflective. of nature or the natural the first part, but it ends Admiration / amazement.
First 2 stanzas: Joyful environment. on a confident/optimistic One feels the respectful,
MIND Last stanza: belief that love will grow No matter how harsh/bad reciprocal love between
Disappointment, Despair/anguish/distress /intensify as death things might seem, we mother and son. The
disillusionment, /anxiety over nature’s closes in. can always find new hope mother’s parenting style is
hopelessness. ruin / destruction. and comfort. gentle, but still strict.
