Storm On The Island By Seamus Heaney

Question 1

The name STORM ON The island has the name stormont in it, what is stormont

Answer 1

Stormont is the Houses of Parliament for Ireland, it is an extended metaphor of the political storm in northern island

Question 2

What form is storm on the island

Answer 2

Storm on the island is blank verse, it mirrors natural speech which makes it more direct and realistic plus focuses on language and close to narrative

Question 3

The poem uses mostly iambic pentameter why?

Answer 3

Maintains a constant rhythm, as the speaker is acting as a spokesperson for the islanders, maintaining a conversational tone
However, the regularity of the meter can also make the poem feel tense, as though the speaker cannot fully relax knowing what is coming

Question 4

Where is there a break of iambic pentameter and what does it show

Answer 4

There is a break when it says ‘blast’ this could be to show the strength, violence and wildness of the storm