Storm on the island Flashcards
Form and structure
unrhymed iambic pentameter - blank verse.
Storm on the island - metaphor
Stormont is the name of the parliament of Northern Ireland and is the homophone for Ireland. Introducing his political message. The political views are made between the Protestant and the Catholic which he refuses to make either side.
“You might think that the sea is company, Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs.” – personification ad oxymoron
He personifies the sea and is isolated. The juxtaposition of it “exploding comfortably” is the deliberate reference to bombing. Which is unnatural and are getting closer and closer to us. Heaney has this predictive nature to suggest that this violence could only get worse, and it is getting closer and closer.
“Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear”. – juxtaposition
The moral lesson of a huge fear over nothing. The one belief that makes them differ is due to their history. This oxymoron of “huge nothing” to suggest that it has a huge impact over them. Then this illusion of nothing is death. Heaney may suggest that Christianity is an issue. The ending is 4 lines compare to 5 line which may be him referring to the reader to write the final line of the poem which is the future of Northern Ireland. This is shown as it also ends with a half rhyme instead of a full rhyme suggest it is incomplete
“Sinks walls in rocks and roof them with good slate. This wizened earth has never troubled us” – siblance and juxtaposition
The use of the siblance ‘s’ sounds creates a sinster mood. Politically he argues that the conflict between Catholics and Protestant is also sinster. With the consonance harsh sounds gives the reader an idea of a hard experience the island is experiencing. The negative imagery of earth being old as “wizened” which represents our society. The use of the juxtaposition of the idea of “sink” may imply to when we build our identity, we create walls, but we are diminishing our experiences. Now we are building of our house becomes a metaphor of how we are constructing our identity. Shows how Heaney believes this is a huge mistake.
“So that you listen to the things you fear forgetting that it pummels your house to” – direct address
He calls Catholics and Protestants “you” which may imply this division is an illusion. But also, could convey it is their fear that brings them together. The metaphor of the fear of the storm then the storm will have no power to destroy them. The violence refers to the ‘troubles. They are a sense of anger from Heaney using fricatives (forming of the letter ‘f’)
