Although none of William Butler Yeats' poems are set in Chiswick, his best-loved poem of peace and longing, The Lake Isle of Innisfree, draws inspiration from Chiswick Eyot. Yeats was inspired by listening to the river water lapping past.
The location is just a few hundred yards from the Bedford Park home, where he wrote the poem and read a first draft to his sisters.
To date the only indication of Yeats' connection with the area is a blue plaque at this address - 3 Blenheim Road - the home occupied by his family from 1888 to 1902. The annual rental paid on the house at the time was £50. This represents around £4540 at today's value.
Campaign
Locally based poet
Cahal Dallat recently launched a campaign to erect a statue in Yeats' honour at a #Yeats2015 event at St Michael & All Angel's Church. The campaign is reported to be well supported by the local community and conservation organisations.
Contact Cahal Dallat if you would like to help realise the dream of having a sculpture of the young WB Yeats greet visitors to Bedford Park. This could take the form of advice, ideas, experience, funding or practical help.
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
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.
Source: The Collected Poems of WB Yeats (1989)
