Storm on the Island

Question 1

Context

Question 2

Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate. This wizened earth has never troubled us

Answer 2

• sibilance of the ‘s’ sound gives the idea of a sinister mood, such as the storm and the conflict between catholic and protestant
• negative imagery suggests the earth is old and ‘wise’ begins with wisdom but ends with age suggesting the society in Northen Island is making them old and frail
• instead of building walls he does the opposite and the sinking walls are a juxtaposition of building ‘rock and roof’ easily shows he believes the division in the world is a mistake

Question 3

So that you listen to the thing you fear forgetting that it pummels your house too

Answer 3

• ‘you’ suggests the division is an illusion as they have no difference between them but fear each other
• metaphor highlights that if you stop fearing the storm is cannot harm you
• house symbolises the violence happening in Northen Island, it is destroying everyone’s home, innocent people have been impacted
• ‘f’s suggest threatening and the fact the people are no listening to him when he says everyone is equal creates a sense of anger

Question 4

you might think the sea is company, exploding comfortably down on the cliffs

Answer 4

• personification and juxtaposition
• sea personified as comfortable but the island are isolated from the sea
• juxtaposition of the sea, exploding comfortably symbolises how they are bombing each other and comfortable doing so

Question 5

Strange, it is a huge nothing the we fear

Answer 5

• oxymoron if huge and nothing holds a huge impact
• illusion that we have nothing to be afraid of
• c and p have dame beliefs but they have different history so hate each other