Hurricane Hits - Grace Nichols

Question 1

Grace Nichols - context

Answer 1

Born in British Guyana 1960 / emigrated to Britain in 1970’s - dual nationality

1987 Hurricane (England)

1961 Hurricane Hattie Guyana

Question 2

Gods of Guyanese religion (3)

Answer 2

Huracan - hurricanes
Oya - wind
Shango - thunder / lightning

Question 3

Hattie (1961)

Answer 3

‘My sweeping, back-home cousin’

Question 4

Themes

Answer 4

Importance of place in creating identity

hurricane links her two cultures / dual nationality

Question 5

Form / significance

Answer 5

Free verse

Symbolises hurricane / no structure / out of control

Question 6

Volte

Answer 6

Single line between verses 5 and verses 6&7
Rhetorical question

‘O why is my heart unchained?’

1987 hurricane helps her reconcile two cultures, realises ‘one world’

Question 7

Anaphora (2)

Answer 7

‘Talk to me’ repeated three times (Huracan, Oya, Shango)

Incantation / ritual

‘That the earth, is the earth, is the earth’

Question 8

IDIOM

Answer 8

‘What is the meaning of trees

Falling heavy as Whales’

Question 9

Metaphor (lake)

Answer 9

‘Come to break the frozen lake in me’

Question 10

Aural / metaphor

Answer 10

‘howling ship of the wind’