The Winds of Wonder

I would go to Innisfree …

I would go to Innisfree …

Category:

, ,

By

RY Deshpande

/

2–3 minutes

read

I would go to Innisfree …

[Inspired by WB Yeats’s The Lake Isle of Innisfree. It raises a haunting question: Pourquoi des mondes — Why worlds?]

I would go to Innisfree where the dream ambles

In a sleep that is in the soul of tranquillity;

Never would the birds screech on avocado green,

Soft verdancy spread in imagination’s valley.

But then should I not grow curious of other things

And climb the thoughtful hill looking up the bustling city?

Sure there’s worthwhileness in the noise seeking silence,

In the midst of death the arrival of immortality.

Hence now let me take a dexterous quantum leap

That in a dice throw shall dismiss all uncertainty;

My God shall then go for shopping to the town bazaar

And buy petite madeleines for himself and for me.

13 December 2025

Some Notes

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

William Butler Yeats

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 honey-bee,

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 morning 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.

I must say this is absolutely beautiful. Perfect in thought, perfect in rhythm, a perfect picture in words. What was the brush he had used to create this wonder? I would love to be in that Innisfree of dream where reigns tranquility in the inner sleep. But should I not add to it civilisation too? There is the tranquil and there is the dynamic, and they both can be together, both this and that. The static oneness and dynamic power belong to meaningful life of truth and joy and beauty and both must be present in the integrality of being and nature. (RYD)

One theme in The Lake Isle of Innisfree is nature versus civilisation. What we value in nature is often the exact opposite of what civilisation brings. Also, civilisation sometimes destroys the peace that nature provides. Another theme may be simplicity versus materialism. [Internet]

“Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of nature and therefore part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.”

— Max Planck, (1932), Where is Science Going? The Universe in the light of Modern Physics.

10 responses to “I would go to Innisfree …”

  1. claudechamberland Avatar
    claudechamberland

    Shradavan’s beautiful initiative of teaching English through Savitri was translated in French. Thus, I restarted studying English from this base, and every morning, I am reading a few more pages.

    What is the link between this and the beautiful Lake Isle of Innisfree? It is what I read this morning, which is perfectly in tune with the poem and with the comments of RYD.

    “Then is revealed in man the overt Divine

    A static Oneness and dynamic Power

    Descend in him, the integral Godhead’s seals

    His soul and body take that splendid stamp.”

    (Savitri, book 1, canto 3)

    This passage happens, in the course of the Yoga of the King, just after the full descent of the Divine Mother in Aswapathy, and before the “abrupt transcendent miracle” where:

    “A crown of the architecture of the worlds,

    A mistery of married Earth and Heaven

    Annexed divinity to the mortal scheme.

    A Seer was born, a shining Guest of time.”

    I will conclude in saying that of course “science can note solve the ultimate mystery of Nature” (Planck), but Yoga can, in due time and by Divine Mother’s Love and Power.

    Like

    Reply
    1. RY Deshpande Avatar
      RY Deshpande

      And remember, “static Oneness and dynamic Power” marked the very beginning of Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga, his own Yoga. The first was with Lele in Baroda in the first week of 1908, around 1st January, the second within months in Alipore Jail, something that had never happened in the spiritual history. My reference is to that.

      But more importantly, if Yeats’s is Refusal of the Ascetic, as we have in The Life Divine, mine is for upholding both in the dynamics of life, the Refusal and the Denial.

      Shraddhavan’s is an excellent piece of work about the English of Savitri, she herself being a pucca English woman. Yet Savitri is more than that English. It is the English of the Future. Hers is a good aid, and excellent and dependable help, but there has to be another perception and intuition to enter into that expression.

      Like

      Reply
  2. claudechamberland Avatar
    claudechamberland

    I felt the need, with English only as a second language, for a more complete understanding of the lexical. But of course, Savitri is transcending all common ways of interpretation. I fully agree that “there has to be another perception and intuition to enter into that expression”. Shraddhavan’s own experience and insight, which she generously shared in her comments, are a very useful tool for me towards all these goals.

    Like

    Reply
    1. RY Deshpande Avatar
      RY Deshpande

      Of course. So also a thousand theses and comments and books. It is a way of growing into Savitri.

      Like

      Reply
  3. claudechamberland Avatar
    claudechamberland

    I also understood at once the identity between “the Yoga of the King” in Savitri and Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga: It was indeed the reason of the reference I have indicated above, so I am glad that you confirmed it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. claudechamberland Avatar
    claudechamberland

    Finally, “petites madeleines” is reasoning strongly in me, reinforced by the tempting picture, because:

    1. I have a sweet tooth and I love treats.
    2. It reminds me of “la madeleine de Proust”, which in french means, in a broader sense, our “péché mignon”, a remembrance of a childhood joy, something appealing at once to something we indulge in with the nostalgia of an event or serie of events tenderly meaningful.
    3. When living in France for 10 years, I often met very famous craftsman selling the delicious madeleines they had prepared and that was a real treat. For example in Limoges, the well-known french city known for the production of beautiful porcelain and where the kings of France were knighted during a certain period in the Middle Ages, during the whole month of december at Chrismas time, I often saw people walking with their boxes, coming back from Bijou’s. It didn’t take me long to discover that they would bring home for the holidays precious assortments of those delicious madeleines (follow the link below: You have to read the reviews!)

    Madeleines Bijou Magasin d’usine à Limoges | 1436 Avis – 1 Photos

    4. The well-loved founder’s name of the Sri Aurobindo center of Montreal is Madeleine. Mother use to pronounce very tenderly her name when she came to Her: “Bonne fête Madeleine!”.

    Like

    Reply
    1. RY Deshpande Avatar
      RY Deshpande

      Magnifique! And the wonder: The well-loved founder’s name of the Sri Aurobindo center of Montreal is Madeleine. 

      Like

      Reply
      1. claudechamberland Avatar
        claudechamberland

        I don’t know how to publish pictures but I would like to add some beautiful pictures of the Marché de Noël de Limoges, where Laurence and me use to sell different products of Quebec, in a small cabin like the one you can see herewith. The remembrance of these years is my new “Madeleine de Proust”!

        Claude Chamberland
        Avocat

        AVERTISSEMENT CONCERNANT LA CONFIDENTIALITÉ
        Ce message est strictement réservé à l’usage de l’individu ou de l’entreprise à qui il est adressé et contient de l’information privilégiée et confidentielle. Si le lecteur de ce message n’est pas le destinataire projeté, il est par la présente avisé que tout dévoilement, distribution ou copie de cette communication est strictement prohibé. Si vous avez reçu cette communication par erreur, veuillez nous téléphoner immédiatement et nous retourner le message original à nos frais, à l’adresse mentionnée ci-haut.

        CONFIDENTIALITY WARNING
        This message is strictly reserved for the use of the person or business to whom it is destined and contains priviledged and confidential information. Take notice that it is strictly prohibited to reveal, distribute or copy the present message without explicit authorization of the person to whom it is destinated. If you received this message by mistake, please advice us by telephone immediately and return the original message, at our expense, to the above adress.

        Like

      2. claudechamberland Avatar
        claudechamberland

        The last picture: I finally found one picture of our stand at Limoges.

        Here we go!

        Claude Chamberland
        Avocat

        AVERTISSEMENT CONCERNANT LA CONFIDENTIALITÉ
        Ce message est strictement réservé à l’usage de l’individu ou de l’entreprise à qui il est adressé et contient de l’information privilégiée et confidentielle. Si le lecteur de ce message n’est pas le destinataire projeté, il est par la présente avisé que tout dévoilement, distribution ou copie de cette communication est strictement prohibé. Si vous avez reçu cette communication par erreur, veuillez nous téléphoner immédiatement et nous retourner le message original à nos frais, à l’adresse mentionnée ci-haut.

        CONFIDENTIALITY WARNING
        This message is strictly reserved for the use of the person or business to whom it is destined and contains priviledged and confidential information. Take notice that it is strictly prohibited to reveal, distribute or copy the present message without explicit authorization of the person to whom it is destinated. If you received this message by mistake, please advice us by telephone immediately and return the original message, at our expense, to the above adress.

        De : Claude Chamberland chamberland.claude@hotmail.com
        Envoyé : dimanche 14 décembre 2025 11:59
        À : comment+rw417126c1cjxbosyo9jx16jrx@comment.wordpress.com comment+rw417126c1cjxbosyo9jx16jrx@comment.wordpress.com
        Objet : RE: [The Winds of Wonder] RY Deshpande a commenté I would go to Innisfree …

        I don’t know how to publish pictures but I would like to add some beautiful pictures of the Marché de Noël de Limoges, where Laurence and me use to sell different products of Quebec, in a small cabin like the one you can see herewith. The remembrance of these years is my new “Madeleine de Proust”!

        Claude Chamberland
        Avocat

        AVERTISSEMENT CONCERNANT LA CONFIDENTIALITÉ
        Ce message est strictement réservé à l’usage de l’individu ou de l’entreprise à qui il est adressé et contient de l’information privilégiée et confidentielle. Si le lecteur de ce message n’est pas le destinataire projeté, il est par la présente avisé que tout dévoilement, distribution ou copie de cette communication est strictement prohibé. Si vous avez reçu cette communication par erreur, veuillez nous téléphoner immédiatement et nous retourner le message original à nos frais, à l’adresse mentionnée ci-haut.

        CONFIDENTIALITY WARNING
        This message is strictly reserved for the use of the person or business to whom it is destined and contains priviledged and confidential information. Take notice that it is strictly prohibited to reveal, distribute or copy the present message without explicit authorization of the person to whom it is destinated. If you received this message by mistake, please advice us by telephone immediately and return the original message, at our expense, to the above adress.

        Like

  5. RY Deshpande Avatar
    RY Deshpande

    The website has no provision to publish pictures in the comment-box. But you can send it to me through email and I will post it for you in the body of the main post. But you can insert the link, the URL.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to claudechamberland Cancel reply