Storm on the Island

What happens?

The narrator of the poem describes how well prepared they are for the conditions on the island. Their buildings are built to withstand the weather and harsh environment. We are told how nature has never provided for them. The description of the weather becomes ever more hostile and we are introduced to the irrational fear experienced as a result. The sea is focused on specifically as an example of the force of nature.

What is it about?

There is more than one interpretation of this poem: the first, most literal, meaning is the power of nature compared to that of man. Despite the fact that the community knows they are safe, they still feel the sense of fear by the sheer force of the weather. The second interpretation is that this poem is alluding to the struggles in Ireland at the time in relation to the IRA and the British…