Poetry Flashcards
Give an example of a language technique used in Storm on the Island.
OXYMORON- ‘it is a huge nothing that we fear’
Heaney suggests that our fear is a paradox: there is nothing to actually fear/ we fear the nothingness of an invisible wind.
He could be referring to God as he is an Irish Catholic- trying to humble and reduce his power.
What is the message of the poem ‘Storm on the Island’?
Heaney is saying that the weather has power over us because we give it that power; the power it has to cause fear. However he is saying, through his conversational tone, it only has that power because we choose to fear it; we choose to let it be scary.
Behind his ‘walls’ and well ‘prepared’, he doesn’t need to fear so the wind (and god) lose power.
How does Heaney convey his message?
MILITARY METAPHORS- ‘salvo’, ‘bombarded’
These relate to air attacks and convey the idea of the weather being very violent and damaging but just like the aircrafts used for air attacks, the intensity of the weather is only what we make of it.
How is the idea if drama and that the storm happens all the time conveyed in ‘Storm on the Island’?
PRESENT TENSE- ‘we are prepared: we build’
suggests it is happening now and always
repetition of ‘we’ creates sense of unity and shows it affects a lot of people; even ‘you’ the reader.
Give examples of structural techniques used in ‘Storm on the Island’?
BLANK VERSE / UNRHYMED- 5 feet in each line
enforces conversational tone
ASIDES- ‘you know what I mean’
reader more involved and can relate to being affected by weather
ENJAMBMENT- ‘blows in full/ Blast’
wind blasting into start of line- storm is ongoing and very violent because of plosive sound.
What is the message of the poem ‘London’?
The people that are in power in the world(especially Church because 1794) seem to be behind a lot of the problems but they do nothing to help.
How does the form of ‘London’ help to convey Blake’s message?
DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE 1st person- emotive language to show his anger and how he is just watching all this happen hopelessly as he walks by
unbroken ABAB rhyme scheme- reflects passionate unbroken anger and also relentless misery of city. Could also reflect sound of his steps.
‘Thames does flow…marks of woe’
likening power of natural force of river to unstoppable ‘woes’
How is structure used in the poem ‘London’?
FIRST 2 STANZAS - focus on people he sees and hears
‘cry of every man’
‘cry of fear…I hear’
3RD STANZA - focus shift to institutions responsible
‘blackening churches’- black = corrupt, could also signify ugliness caused by industrial revolution
ordinary people suffer while the royals are safe behind their ‘palace walls’
LAST STANZA- focus shift back to people and their innocence
‘marriage hearse’- OXYMORON- happiness of marriage contrasted with sadness of death. Shows how everything is affected and nothing pure or innocent remains even the babies:
‘blasts the new-born infant’s tear’
How is hopelessness depicted in the poem ‘London’?
METAPHOR- ‘mind-forged manacles’
people are trapped by their own attitudes and since they’re not trying to help themselves they appear helpless.
