Storm On The Island (SOL)

Question 1

“We are prepared: we build our houses squat,

Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate.”

Answer 1

• These lines show the resilience of the islanders who have built sturdy homes to withstand the power of nature.
• The alliteration reinforces how solid the structures are, and the caesura suggests they are prepared to stop the oncoming storm.

Question 2

“This wizened earth has never troubled us

With hay, so, as you see, there are no stacks

Or stooks that can be lost.”

Answer 2

• The earth is described as “wizened” or aged, and the lack of crops suggests the harsh, barren landscape the islanders must endure.
• The personification of the earth shows its age and wisdom, demonstrating the theme of the power of nature.

Question 3

“— Nor are there trees

Which might prove company when it blows full

Blast: you know what I mean — leaves and branches

Can raise a tragic chorus in a gale”

Answer 3

• The absence of trees removes any potential “company” during the storm, as trees would create an eerie, chorus-like sound, reminding the islanders of the storm’s intensity.
• The storm is referred to as “it”, which could indicate that it is an abstract threat.

Question 4

“So that you can listen to the thing you fear

Forgetting that it pummels your house too.”

Answer 4

• Nature’s power is personified as a violent force “pummelling” the islanders’ homes.
• The second person pronoun “you” is inclusive, drawing the reader into the danger.

Question 5

“… spits like a tame cat

Turned savage.”

Answer 5

• The sea, which could be “company”, becomes a threat during the storm, as the simile of an angry cat conveys the power of its spray.
• Nature is untamed.

Question 6

“We just sit tight while wind dives

And strafes invisibly …”

Answer 6

• Heaney describes the wind with military imagery, “diving” and “strafing” like fighter planes, bombarding the islanders with its invisible force.
• The power of nature is similarly destructive.
• The use of sensoric imagery (auditory, etc.) emphasises the sheer power of nature and reinforces the frailty of humans

Question 7

“Strange, it is a huge nothing we fear.”

Answer 7

Despite the storm’s intensity, the poet comments on the strangeness of fearing something as intangible as “empty air” or “nothing”.

Question 8

“Space is a salvo,

We are bombarded by the empty air.”

Answer 8

• The use of military terms like “salvo” and “bombarded” personify the storm as a violent, aggressive force attacking the islanders.
• By using this technique, the poet makes the attack seem personal.

Question 9

“Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs”

Answer 9

The oxymoron “exploding comfortably” highlights the islanders’ ambivalent relationship with the sea, which can be both comforting and dangerous.