Storm On The Island-Seamus Heaney Flashcards
Explain context in ‘Storm on the Island’
Seamus Heaney was a poet in Ireland, he grew up in a farming community and many of his poems were about very normal and homely subjects. He uses a large number of agricultural and natural images in his work as metaphors for human nature.
The poem is set around a story of a small isolated cottage near the sea in the storm and the exposure of the elements.
The first eight letters of the poem’s title spell ‘Stormont’, which is the name given to Northern Ireland’s Parliament buildings. This hints that the ‘storm’ could be about some of the violent political disturbances that Ireland has experienced, e.g. Irish republicans wanting independence from Britain
Explain the themes in ‘Storm on the Island’
The poem looks at the conflict between nature and man and peoples fear of the weather. However the poet also points out that the fears are really rather small in the grand scheme. There is also a hint of war and conflict in the way the weather is described with “bombardment” and “salvo”
Explain the structure in ‘Storm On The Island’
The poem is in blank verse with 19 lines. There are 5 feet (10 syllables) in each line. The verses are unrhymed and it gives a very conversational tone. This is added to by the use of asides ‘you know what I mean’. The poem is in present tense to suggest the storm is occurring at the time. The poem uses a great deal of enjambment to help add to the conversational tone.
The poem is written in blank verse, which mirrors the patterns of everyday speech and makes the poem sound like part of a conversation. The first person plural (“we”) is used, showing how this is a collective, communal experience. The poem is all in one stanza as its compact and sturdy like the houses
The poem shifts from security to fear. “But no” seems to be a turning point (volta) with the slow pace of the monosyllabic phrase and the caesura reflecting the last moments of calm before the storm
Explain the other elements of ‘Storm on the Island’
Contrasting descriptions of safety and fear- the narrator uses a lot of words to do with safety and security at the beginning of the poem. The tone changes through, and the sense of danger increases as familiar things become frightening during the storm
Direct address- the narrator involves the reader in his fear by speaking directly to “you”
Violent imagery- the storm is described in violent, often warlike terms, with similes, metaphors and personification combining to emphasise danger and the effects of the storm
Use of sounds- forceful sounds (e.g. blast) are used to demonstrate the strength of nature and the poem also uses assonant and sibilant sounds to reflect the noise of the wind and waves
What are the feelings and attitudes of ‘Storm On the Island’?
Safety- the first part of the poem shows that the community feel safe, and prepared for the storm
Fear- this sense of security soon changes to fear, as familiar things change and become frightening
Helplessness- the people can’t do anything about their fear except wait for the storm to finish. Nature is presented as a powerful, relentless force
Briefly describe what the poem is about
The narrator describes how a community thinks it is well prepared for a coming storm
As the poem goes on, their confidence starts to disappear as the storm develops. The power and the sounds of the storm are described
The ending of the poem describes the fear as the storm hits the island
Explain fear in ‘Storm on the Island’
The poem ends with “it is a huge nothing that we fear”, the suggestion is not just about the weather but also potentially many things. As an Irish Catholic, religion is a big element in Heaney’s life. He humbles the weather into very human terms unlike other poems which fear it’s might. In many ways he is also humbling the idea of God. Reducing his power into a “huge nothing”. The suggestion of fear is that power is only there if you let the other thing scare you. Behind the walls and well prepared, he doesn’t need to fear and so the weather (and God) lose power.
Summarise the key points of ‘Storm on the island ‘
The cottage represents safety and calm and behind its walls the violence of the weather is undermined. It reflects a conflict between nature and man
The poet is able to communicate a sense of calm friendliness using asides and very recognisable imagery to describe the attack of the weather.
The poets suggestion of fear challenges the allocation of power, that we only give power top what we fear if we leave it
“Spits like a tamed cat turned savage “
Heaney has used a simile to reflect the effects of the sea spray on the house on this island. The enjambment of the simile almost surprises the reader, implying potentially that the sea can suddenly be transformed into threatening and dangerous. The simile shows how familiar things in a storm can be become frightening.
“We are prepared” “squat”
This is a very strong opening statement that creates a feeling of safety. There are lots of words about safety and security in the first two lines. The end-stopping reinforces this feeling of security, which disappears with the enjambment in the rest of the poem.
“Space is a salvo, we are bombarded with the empty air”
A salvo is a rapid fire of artillery. The metaphor is part of a semantic field relating to war and violence. The sibilance could be intimidating the hissing sound of artillery or the lightning and wind of the storm. The verb “bombarded” conjures images of violent sieges or attacks adding to the semantic field of war
“Strange, it is a huge nothing we fear”
The use of the oxymoron “huge nothing” indicates nature’s dominance. This dramatic pause after the exclamation “strange” is used to allow Heaney to emphasise the significance of the conflict between man and nature. The “huge nothing” could refer to conflicts such as the troubles which simply arose as a result of overriding suspicion between the groups. He may be attempting to highlight the groundless and unnecessary hostility between the two communities. The storm is invisible as there’s nothing solid there. This contrasts with the solid rock mentioned in the second line of the poem
