Storm On The Island Flashcards
“We are prepared,”
Very strong opening statement that creates a feeling of safety compare it to the last line of the poem
‘Our houses squat,” “Sink walls in rock,” “Good slate,”
These are lots of words about safety and security in the first two lines
“Pummels,”
Violent to describe the wind
“But there are no trees, no natural shelter,”
Caesura slows the pace of the line and emphasises the second no
“Exploding comfortably,”
Oxymoron juxtaposes the feelings of fear and safety
“Spits like a tame cat turned savage,”
Simile shows how familiar things become frightening during the storm
“Strafes,” “Salvo,” “Bombarded,”
Language normally used to describe war. The wind is compared to a plane attacking the island
“Begins,” “spray hits,” “sit” “wind”
The assonance I sounds and sibilance sounds in lines 14 to 17 combined to imitate the hissing and spitting of the sea
Slow pace of the monosyllabic phrase and caesura
Reflects the last moments of calm before the storm
Narrator involves direct adresss
To involve the reader in his fear
“It is a huge nothing that we fear,”
The storm is invisible- there’s nothing there. This contrasts with the solid rock mentioned in the second line of the poem
The poem is all in one stanza
Compact and sturdy like the houses
