'Storm on the island' by Heaney
- Created by: sp.15
- Created on: 13-12-19 19:44
View mindmap
- 'Storm on the island' by Heaney
- Ideas about power and conflict
- People are prepared for the power of the storm, but still become afraid.
- The poem shows the sheer power of nature.
- The poem acts out the calm before the storm: confidence changes to fear.
- Context
- Heaney grew up in Ireland.
- The poem is from the perspective of a villager on a remote island, probably in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Ireland.
- The poem is about the serve storms the community face.
- The poem deals with the physical and mental effects of the storms.
- Language
- Sea / trees are personified as "company"
- Heavy alliteration suggests the persistent sound of the storm.
- violent imagery (metaphors and similes): "spits like a tame cat"
- Violent words like "blast", "exploding" and "fear".
- Metaphors (particularly verbs) of war planes: "bombarded", "dives" and "strafes"
- Form
- Dramatic monologue: the poem is spoken by a person who lives on the island.
- The poem is one stanza: it's "squat" and sturdy, like the houses.
- Conversation- al blank verse addresses the reader directly as "you"
- Structure
- Strong, secure, united opening changes to fearful, insecure, isolated ending.
- Contrast in mood between beginning and ending.
- Turning point with caesura after "but no" - the last hint of safety is lost.
- Quotations to learn
- "as you see"
- "but no"
- "wind dives / and strafes"
- "we are bombarded"
- Ideas about power and conflict
Comments
No comments have yet been made