Storm on the Island and Exposure

Question 1

Comparison 1

Answer 1

Both poems present nature as the enemy.

Question 2

Comparison 2

Answer 2

Both poems present nature as dangerous forces – they use nature as an extended metaphor to criticise conflict.

Question 3

Comparison 3

Answer 3

Both poems present how nature is more powerful than humanity.

Question 4

Storm on the Island 1

Answer 4

In Storm on the Island, the speaker feels prepared for their encounter with nature.

Question 5

Storm on the Island 1 - Quotes

Answer 5

“we are prepared”

“rock”/”slate”

Question 6

Exposure 1

Answer 6

However, in Exposure, the soldiers are attacked from the beginning. They are unprepared for nature in the same way they were unprepared for the reality of war.

Question 7

Exposure 1 - Quotes

Answer 7

“our brains ache”
“mad gusts tugging on the wire”
“but nothing happens”

Question 8

Storm on the Island 2

Answer 8

In Storm on the Island, the speaker explores how the weather, something they are familiar with, becomes dangerous and violent – much like the religious conflict in Northern Ireland.

Question 9

Storm on the Island 2 - Quotes

Answer 9

“spits like a tame cat turned savage”

Question 10

Exposure 2

Answer 10

In Exposure, the weather is violent and destructive – it is the main enemy of the men. Owen uses this familiar concept of nature to explore how the government, another familiar concept, is to blame for the suffering of the men.

Question 11

Exposure 2 - Quotes

Answer 11

“merciless iced east winds that knive us”
“ranks on ranks of shivering grey”
“dawn massing in the east, her melancholy army”

Question 12

Storm on the Island 3

Answer 12

At the end of Storm on the Island, the islanders are terrified of the power of nature and their lack of ability to defend themselves.

Question 13

Storm on the Island 3 - Quotes

Answer 13

“bombarded with empty air”

“it is a huge nothing that we fear”

Question 14

Exposure 3

Answer 14

However, at the end of Exposure, the men are consumed by nature – they are entirely powerless in the face of the natural world.

Question 15

Exposure 3 - Quotes

Answer 15

“all their eyes are ice”

“tonight this frost will fasten on the mud and us”

Question 16

“we are prepared”

Answer 16

• immediately establishes tone of confidence, despite imminent threat (nature = threat)
• “prepared” overconfidence in ability to overpower nature/avoid its impact
• “we”: collective pronoun, sense of community
• safe due to collective preparation
• +even a whole community cannot control/overpower nature, thus demonstrating the sheer power nature has over humans.

Question 17

“rock”/”slate”

Answer 17

• natural imagery
• sense of security, typically strong materials
• demonstrates islanders’ view that they’ll be safe
• “rock”: strong/sturdy, demonstrates level of percieved protection
• arrogance of man: strong materials enough to control nature and defeat the common enemy
• ironic - using nature to protect from nature - no human-made structure can overcome the power of nature

Question 18

“pummels”/”blows full blast”

Answer 18

• Heaney intended for storm to be ext metaphor for conflict in NI as nature is so overwhelmingly powerful it transcends human power so it is arguably the most appropriate metaphor for the conflict
• demonstrates how humans will never overpower force of religion/nature +instead will fall victim to devastating effects of the conflict

-evident through violent verbs
“pummels” - hard-hitting motion, how severely island hit by storm/religious conflicts
-highlights fear, demonstrates feeling of under attack from govt/nature, which jxt initial arrogance and security

Question 19

“our brains ache”

Answer 19

“our”/”us”- collective pronouns
-highlights universal nature of xps of war

• present tense
• never ending cycle of pain+misery in war

“ache”- cn of ongoing pain
-mirrors xp of soldiers, as faced with constant emotional+physical pain, despite dullness of war

Question 20

“mad gusts tugging on the wire”

Answer 20

“tugging” - pull hard and suddenly, unsuspectng soldiers
“mad” - frenzied mental or physical state
-cn something animalistic - nature cannot be controlled
-perhaps illustrates the everlasting damage on the soldiers’ mind

Question 21

“but nothing happens”

Answer 21

• refrain
• war monotonous and dull
• soldiers waiting for something to happen yet never does
• xposed to more than just conflict
• highlights needless suffering as soldiers just waiting to die

Question 22

“spits like a tame cat turned savage”

Answer 22

-“cat” domestic animal, usually doesn’t bring harm
-highlights how things once familiar/calm can quickly become frightening
-“tame”/”savage” adj jxt
“tame”- cn something calm, like island before storm/conflict
“savage” cn something out of control + even dangerous, like wild animal
-highights mistaken belief islanders had “tamed” nature, showing inherent conflict of man + nature due to clear power imbalance as islanders had attempted + failed to control nature
-use of sibilance creates hissing sound, highlights violent/aggressive nature of conflict
-+may demonstrate how nature (+religion) is sinister force capable of unfathomable destruction, due to dangerous cn of “savage”
-mirrors how Heaney believed religious conflicts out of control.
-supported by perhaps venomous tone created through sibilance, may reflect deep distrust of Catholics + Protetants.
-therefore demonstrates inherent conflict btwn man + nature as it shows how humans attempt to “tame” nature yet will ultimately always fail.

Question 23

“merciless iced east winds that knive us”

Answer 23

• sibilance
  -may mirror harshness of wind, shows terrible conditions forced to fight in
  -alt. cn cold/emotionless - deceit, govt detatched from suffering
  -may give impression govt is deceiving soldiers in sense that are sent out to war, innocent of knowledge of reality
  “knife” close contact weapon, easily concealed- highlights how poet feels govt personally/openly deceived them, as they knew many of men wont make out alive

Question 24

“ranks on shivering ranks of grey”

Answer 24

“grey” -cn of lifelessness - emphatic of dullness of war

• war ultimately pointless, all life will be destroyed
• could refer to DE uniforms (also grey)
• immediateley aligns nature w/ enemy
• nature common enemy between all soldiers, no matter which side they fight on
• nature transcends all man made concepts, including war

Question 25

“dawn massing in the east, her melancholy army”

Answer 25

“dawn” - cn new beginnings

• jxt smf of misery
• emphasise everyday filled with same misery+despair of the last
• illustrates hopelessness of war
• circularity - highlights endless monotony of soldier’s day to day life in war.

Question 26

“bombarded with empty air”

Answer 26

“bombarded” cn something violent+dangerous, demonstrates power nature and conflict holds over the islands=ers.

• jxt by “empty air”, demonstrates conglict based on nothing, ultimately pointless
• highlights profound effect nature can have on humans as it shows how even something invisible can leave them feeling helpless and isolated.

Question 27

“it is a huge nothing that we fear”

Answer 27

“nothing” - highlights storm invisible, makes it more threatening as it is imposiible to fight back
-alt. may illutrate intention for storm to be metaphor for conflict between humans as suggests conflict ultimately pointless as is formed from nothing but distrust

Question 28

“all their eyes are ice”

Answer 28

“all” - collective xp, lost identity

• metaphor - refers to eyes of men who are dead but also men who are living
• nature transcends mortality, living + dead both entirely consumed by nature, no separation between the two
• nature no boundaries
• cold to violence, death + loss that they experienced during war
• highlights horror of war-can no longer feel emotion, desensitised to horrific events they’ve witnessed and instead have become resigned to their situation. ​

Question 29

“tonight this frost will fasten on the mud and us”

Answer 29

-metaphorical
“fasten”- cn fixed, men can’t escape position
cn claustrophobic, restrained - men stifled by war - unable to leave once sign up
“mud and us” - collective, soldiers become part of nature - entirely lost identity