Lara Tupper: Swift Ink Stories

Lake Isle Morning, Co. Sligo, Ireland

"And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings..."
 
--William Butler Yeats, "Lake Isle of Innisfree"

I just returned from Ireland, where I heard lively musicians, consumed several loaves of brown bread and took a "Yeatsian" tour in Sligo. The photo above reveals my favorite stop. Our guide, Yeats scholar Damien Brennan, recited  "Lake Isle of Innisfree" with the actual lake isle in sight. 

It was a powerful moment for me. In college, I'd been required to memorize poetry and perform for my professor. (A terrifying experience.) I chose Yeats, and muddled through the recitation. I will never forget the poem because of it. (Thank you, Professor Dana Gioia, whose lesson plan I now understand.)

How powerful it is to give voice to treasured words. 

October writing exercise:  Take yourself on a play date with a favorite writer, living or dead. Where will you go? What burning qu…