Storm on the Island Flashcards
1
Q
“We are prepared”
A
- pronoun “we”
- show that they are unified
- “we” all need to stick together on this and need to get through it together
2
Q
“Pummels your house too”
A
- the conflict affects everyone
- unavoidable
- Heaney is calling people to join the fight
3
Q
“Exploding comfortably”
A
- oxymoron
- it may be friends vs friends and family vs family
- the violence in Ireland is a civil war
- it contradicts itself
4
Q
“Spray hits the very windows”
A
- reference to Molotov Cocktails -> glass bottles filled with petrol and bits of metal, explode and spray out everywhere
- “spray” connotates machine guns -> emphasise the loss of life
5
Q
“Spits like a tame cat | Turned savage”
A
- simile
- tame cats don’t spit they’re well behaved
- enjambment
- the line break is effective as it seperates it = like the seperated society
6
Q
What are the key themes of Storm on the Island?
A
- power of nature
- politics
- Civil war
- fear
- power of humans
7
Q
Who was Seamus Heaney?
A
- an Irish poet from the 20th century
- a poet laureate
- he often wrote about the power of nature
8
Q
What is Storm on the Island about?
A
- its an extended metaphor
- about the raging civil war in Ireland
- Stormont = heavily involved in the fight
9
Q
What happened in the conflict in Ireland?
A
- in Easter 1916 the Republican factions formed the IRA
- they began violent campaigns to expel the British
- it was very dangerous
- friends and family turned on eachother
