Storm on the Island - Seamus Heany

Question 1

“Spits like a tame cat turned savage”

Answer 1

• Simile shows you can’t control nature
• Plosive ‘t’ shows threat and danger
• contrast to normal connotation of cat, warm and comforting, showing that, there is nothing good left.

Question 2

We are prepared

Answer 2

Arrogance in the declarative “we are prepared” – too confident, shown by how bold and declarative,they are confident in their ability to overpower nature. BUT also betrays their fear – they have completely adapted their lives to the purpose of resisting nature

Question 3

you know what I mean –

Answer 3

personal pronoun adreding reader - Heaney relies on
conversational colloquialisms to connect the reality of the islander’s lives to the readers.

Question 4

blows full Blast

Answer 4

Plosives give sense of violence and aggression, and suggests nature is attacking the island - the plosives also resemble bullets – shows weather is as deadly as a weapon.

Question 5

dramatic monologue

Answer 5

The dramatic monologue structure means
the poem is like a one way conversation
which reflects the position of the islanders
who have no one to help during the storm
because they are isolated and alone.

Question 6

no rhyme scheme

Answer 6

There is no consistent rhyme scheme, which reflects how order cannot be enforced upon nature,
it is more powerful than humans, so humans have no way to control it. The lack of rhyme scheme
relates to the omnipotence of nature. This contrasts with the very controlled rhythm, which
works to show human power resisting power and chaos of a storm.
There is some half rhyme which shows that nature only allows for partial organisation, and also
that humans can only ever partially control and tame nature.

Question 7

‘we’

Answer 7

repetition of collective pronoun throughout poem show that they are are strong community and they cannot be broken

Question 8

this wizened earth has never troubled us/ with hay’

Answer 8

Enjambement
The lines overflow which implies the constant barrage of information or alternatively the constant
barrage of the storm. This is reflected in the arrangement of the poem into one single stanza, as it
mirrors the overwhelming power of storms. The reader becomes overwhelmed by the size of the
poem and the breathlessness created from the enjambment replicates the panicked feeling of the
islanders as they are faced with the storm.

Question 9

context

Answer 9

This poem describes the experience of being in a cliff top cottage off the coast of Ireland during a storm. However, on another level it could be an extended metaphor for the troubles in Northern Ireland. Ireland faced much unrest with regard to politics and religion. The country was divided, because some wanted independence from England and others didnt