Storm On The Island Flashcards
Rhyme scheme in ‘Storm on the Island’?
There is no consistent rhyme scheme, which reflects how order cannot be enforced upon nature, it is more powerful than humans, so humans have no way to control it. The lack of rhyme scheme relates to the omnipotence of nature. This contrasts with the very controlled rhythm, which works to show human power resisting power and chaos of a storm.
There is some half rhyme which shows that nature only allows for partial organisation, and also that humans can only ever partially control and tame nature.
Enjambment in ‘Storm on the Island’?
The lines overflow which implies the constant barrage of information or alternatively the constant barrage of the storm. This is reflected in the arrangement of the poem into one single stanza, as it mirrors the overwhelming power of storms. The reader becomes overwhelmed by the size of the poem and the breathlesness created from the enjambment replicates the panicked feeling of the islanders as they are faced with the storm.
Cyclical structure in ‘storm on the island’?
The half rhyme created between the first and last couplet (“houses squat/good slate” and “the empty air/huge nothing that we fear”) creates a cyclical structure that connects the preparation for the storm at the start, to the fear of the storm’s power at the end.
The cyclical nature of the poem shows the resiliance of the islanders. Storms will come again anf agaim, and they have to learn to live with them and endure it: the cycle of preparation, storm and recovery is never ending. However due to the fundamental insufficiency of human power, no matter what humans do there is always the possibility that nature will destroy it because nature’s power is greater.
How is the theme of isolation vs community
Dramatic monologue is no speaker to reply which emphasises the isolation of islanders. However, written in collective voice (first person plural) which shows they are speaking as a community.
All united against a common threat, yet isolated by their individual fears.
Informal tone, islanders used to the storm, no special occassion, regular occurance
Refers to nature as company but references are proved wrong
Nature has betrayed them ‘tame cat turned savage’
Quotes which show colloquialism, typical of Northern Irish speakers, suggesting that everyone can experience the impact of nature?
“You might think” , “you know what i mean”.
Quotation for a simile which is oxymoronic to show how nature has a tame and malicious side?
‘spits like a tame cat//turned savage’
Quotes which show the semantic field of military language and violence showing the islanders are under attack from nature. And a plosives (interupts the airflow in your lungs) is refelective of bullets.
‘Exploding’ , ‘Strafes’ , ‘Salvo’ (guns going off), ‘Blows full blast’ (plosives).
