Storm On The Island

Question 1

What themes are in this poem?

Answer 1

• power of humans
• power of nature
• fear

Question 2

Who wrote the poem?

Answer 2

Seamus Heaney

Question 3

Why was the poem written?

Answer 3

To stand in solidarity with irish catholics who are standing strong against the protestant and england.

Question 4

Quotes to show the power of humans?

Answer 4

‘Blast’ ‘pummels’ ‘exploding’ - semantic field of warfare to show what has been happening in ireland for the last 800 years

‘You know what i mean’ is casual to show that he has control of the situation because he has faced it before.

‘We ‘ repetition of we shows he is standing with his irish people , that if ireland build there community like he has built his house ‘squat’ , ‘rock’ , ‘slate’, (semantic field of strength)then they can weather the storm

Question 5

Quotes to show power of nature ?

Answer 5

‘Pummels’ ‘exploding’ ‘savage’ ‘bombarded’Semantic field of violence , shows the power of nature

‘Exploding comfortability’ shows that he can not make sense of the power of nature , it cannot be defined

Question 6

Quotes that shows fear in this poems?

Answer 6

‘Huge nothing we fear’ if you are prepared then you will beat the storm

Question 7

Structure and form in this poem?

Answer 7

• enjambment to create barrage of info , which is like the constant storm. Lack of punctuation emphasises this
• iambic pentameter is used which is an english invention. With this causal language like ‘you know what i mean is said’. This shows the conflict between between the irish and english
• starts with half rhyme and ends with half rhyme ‘squat and rock’, ‘air and fear’ this shows the continuous cycle of the war in ireland as-well as the continuous cycle of the weather