The Prelude and Storm on the Island

Question 1

Comparison 1

Answer 1

Both poems explore the hubristic nature of humanity and their arrogance in the face of nature.

Question 2

Comparison 2

Answer 2

Both poems explore how nature is something which is powerful, dangerous, and potentially something to fear.

Question 3

Comparison 3

Answer 3

Both poems end exploring the inherent conflict between humans and nature. They also consider the paradoxical nature of humanity’s fears, with doubts and fears built up within the mind more so than in reality. Nature profoundly impacts the speakers in both poems with fear and uncertainty pervading the end of each poem.

Question 4

Storm on the Island 1

Answer 4

In Storm of the Island, the islanders feel ‘prepared’ for the storm they are to encounter despite being unaware of the strength or power of the storm they will experience.

Question 5

Storm on the Island 1 - Quotes

Answer 5

“we are prepared”
“rock”/”slate”
“pummels”/”blows full blast”

Question 6

The Prelude 1

Answer 6

However, in The Prelude, the speaker feels entitled to enjoy nature – he feels ultimately in control and reduces nature to within his realm of understanding.

Question 7

The Prelude 1 - Quotes

Answer 7

“unloosed”/”act of stealth”
“troubled pleasure”
“trouble to my dreams”

Question 8

Storm on the Island 2

Answer 8

In Storm on the Island, the speaker considers how nature, although seemingly familiar, can be destructive and damaging.

Question 9

Storm on the Island 2 - Quotes

Answer 9

“spits like a tame cat turned savage”

Question 10

The Prelude 2

Answer 10

Likewise, in The Prelude, the speaker also explores how nature is something beyond human comprehension, equally inspiring and terrifying.

Question 11

The Prelude 2 - Quotes

Answer 11

“glittering idly”

“huge peak, black and huge”

Question 12

Storm on the Island 3

Answer 12

In Storm of the Island, the poet ends with the line “strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear” which helps explore this idea.

Question 13

Storm on the Island 3 - Quotes

Answer 13

“it is a huge nothing that we fear”

“bombarded by empty air”

Question 14

The Prelude 3

Answer 14

However, in The Prelude, this is explored through the long-lasting impact that nature has on the speaker.

Question 15

The Prelude 3 - Quotes

Answer 15

“there hung a darkness called solitude”
“many days”
“grave and serious mood”

Question 16

“we are prepared” analysis

Answer 16

• immediately establishes tone of confidence, despite imminent 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
• 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

“unloosed”/”act of stealth”

Answer 19

• took boat without any shame
• “unloosed”: connotes freedom - free from guilt when stealing boat
• demonstrates arrogance of man, entitled to interfere with nature
• +arrogance apparent through control poet wanted to have over boat, demostrating desire to control all things, inc nature
• “stealth” - cn something intentionally sneaky
• may indicate proud of his actions, clearly though about potential for getting caught
• again demonstrates man’s attempt to over power and control nature

Question 20

“troubled pleasure”

Answer 20

-demonstrates enjoyment of speaker from stealing boat
“pleasure - cn happiness, depicts happiness of poet when able to steal boat
-highlights arrogance of humans, almost proud of stealing from nature + believes he is full in control

“troubled” - aware steaing wrong, presenting inner conflict of humans

• oxymoron shows how humans feel entitled to enjoy nature, illustrating arrogance of man
• jxt by end of poem

Question 21

“trouble to my dreams”

Answer 21

-jxt, highlights unsettling realistation of Wordsworth that humans will always be inferior to nature
“trouble” - demonstates disturbing experience of realisation, illustrating sheer power nature can have on humans
-further supported by “dreams”
-cn something peaceful, yet peaces has been destroyed by realistation of true power of nature + the fear it brings
-therefre demonstrates far reaching effects of the power of nature + how humans may feel fear when they try to comprehend such power.

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

“glittering idly”

Answer 23

-range of pastoral imgry
-“glittering”, verb, cn something shiny, further cn something valuable/precious
-demostrates belief nature precious+something to be admired
“idly”- adverb, demonstrates effortless beauty of nature
-+repeated L sound gives impression boat moving gently, therfore creating sense of confidence + peace, as poet doesnt feel under any sort of threat
-immediately jxt when mountain comes into view

Question 24

“huge peak, black and huge”

Answer 24

• “huge” adj repeated, may intended to create emphasis on sheer size of mountain
• or perhaps demonstrate simultaneous awe + fear of poet
• may also highlight loss of words, struggles to find another word to describe mountainm illustrating the level of shock from the poet as he struggles to form sentences
• dark/threatening language jxt previous pastoral imgry, demonstrates inherent conflict of man + nature as it shows how humans struggle to even comprehend sheer power of nature

Question 25

“it is a huge nothing that we fear”

Answer 25

“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 26

“bombarded by 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

“there hung a darkness called solitude over my thoughts”

Answer 27

“solitude” connotes loneliness, demontrates feelings of despair that the poet felt after realised insignificance in comparison to nature

Question 28

“many days”

Answer 28

• “solitude” lasted for “many days”
• illustrares long lasting impact nature has on humans as he has been irreversibly changed
• perhpas symbolise loss of innocence due to the fact he is aware of position within the world +the inferiority of humans to nature

Question 29

“grave and serious mood”

Answer 29

-discovery left him in a “grave and serious mood”
-demonstrates how nature has caused him to think hard about how each individual human insignificant
“grave” cn something serious, demonstrates power nature has as shows how this unsettling realisation had caused him to reconsider everything
-alt. could be argued that bc of cn of death from “grave” could be symbolic of death of innocence of poet
-therefore demonstrates how nature can alter way a person thinks, causing a profound impact on their outlook on life.