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The Lake Of Innisfree Analysis

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When thing got though, people always feel like they want to just leave their reality behind and escape. That desire can be shared by many. shared by many, the hard actuality of life creates the feeling of wanting to escape. The theme of wanting to escape can be seen in the poem, “The Lake of Innisfree” by W. B. Yeats and in the story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. While some differences between the two works are evident like the ways to face the reality of the characters, the point of view and the environment, the similarities such as the desire to leave the environment they are in, feeling stuck in their place and finding ways to deal with their reality are striking. I will discuss these issues in my essay to show the similarities between these seemingly unalike works. The poem “The Lake of Innisfree” by W. B. Yeats is about a place in nature and it clearly illustrates the notion of wanting to escape as it's written in the first person. The poem is a description of a place the narrator visited as a child. The lake represents a quiet place, where he can think and be alone. This place in nature is contradictory to the place he's in. Throughout the whole poem, three strong motifs show that theme. First, the desire to leave the environment he is in. The poet conveys his strong wish …show more content…

B. Yeats and in the story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. The unexpected similarities that intertwine in both the poem and the story convey the strong sentiment of wanting to escape reality. The differences only enhance the emotion of wanting to leave the environment you are in that both the poem and the story express. Every element is used to show the desire to escape. Dealing with a hard life and environment that makes you feel stuck will create the will to escape. The wish to be in a better, faraway place. That is what in the core of this seemingly different literary

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As a matter of fact, the storyteller does not appreciate Sonny's motivations to play jazz music until the evening he socially joins Sonny to his stage show at a nightclub. Sitting in a dark corner at the nightclub, the storyteller listens to his brother play, considering the reminder of Sonny's friend, Creole, of what the Blues are about, "The tale, of the blues, how we live, and how we are delighted, how we suffer... and how we triumph... must be heard... it's the only light we've got in all this darkness." (Baldwin 139). For the narrator, he perceives that the Blues is the manifestation for Sonny's emotions, especially his suffering, because, as Creole would say, music is the only light in the

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James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” is a short story depicting the relationship of two brothers, Sonny and an unnamed narrator. The story takes place in the project of Harlem, New York in the early 1950s. The narrator is a high school math teacher. His younger brother Sonny is a troubled musician struggling with his addiction to drugs. Before their mother dies, she asks the narrator promise to her he’ll look after his younger brother when she is gone.

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James Baldwin is a renowned author best known for his work of essays, books and short stories, particularly those which dwell deeply into important social and psychological issues of discrimination, gender inequality, homophobia and so on. One of Mr. Baldwin 's most appreciated literary works is the short story 'Sonny 's Blues ' which focuses on two brothers who grew up together but take different paths in life. The story follows the narrator learning about his brother Sonny 's incarceration due to the use and selling of drugs until his brother gets parole. Throughout the story, we learn about the relationship between the pair and are able to witness the narrators ultimate understanding of Sonny and his ambition. As we continue to observe the impressive short story, we find the most recurring theme to be that of sorrow.

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In fiction, the narrator controls how the audience connects to and perceives the various characters in a story. A good author can manipulate the narration to connect the audience to certain characters and deepen the reader’s understanding of their conflicts. In “Previous Condition” and “Sonny’s Blues,” James Baldwin illustrates themes of loneliness and isolation in the pursuit of finding a space that feels like home. Although this theme is clear in both stories, Baldwin is able to portray it very differently in each story through the relationship he allows the reader to the characters struggling with these feelings. While “Previous Condition” provides a more intimate relationship to the narrator, “Sonny’s Blues” is able to deliver an additional level of understanding by telling the story through Sonny’s brother, therefore disconnecting the reader in a way that forces him or her to share the characters’ feelings of isolation and confusion.

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