Storm on the Island Flashcards
Who wrote Storm on the Island
Heaney
what type of poem is storm on the island
allegory
Sink walls…
Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate.
Sibilance to reflect the sinister nature of the weather and also the sinister relationship between catholic and protestant forces
Monosyllabic string breaks the line up, reflecting the broken up society and how conflict is prominent.
Slate and rock are used because of their watertight properties, use of natural materials shows how attached the population is to nature
consonance harsh sound
You might think
You might think that the sea is company//Exploding comfortably
Juxtaposition could reflect the conflict between protestant and catholic.
Could be referring to the IRA attacks, comfortably suggests that it is normal and expected, saying that society is actually becoming comfortable with this conflict
sea personified exemplifies its power
Strange…
Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear.
Dramatic pause, to allow the reader to realise how bizarre war is.
Huge nothing - oxymoron, insignificance of war.
Could be alluding to death/afterlife - Christianity
Structure used in SOTI
half rhymes, iambic pentameter and repetition
Half rhyme in final two lines “air” and “fear” creates a feeling on unease, and there is no final resolution.
Iambic pentameter to reflect the monotonous and expected nature of war, yet begins with stressed syllable to reflect the fact that the speaker is uncomfortable about the situation.
Repetition of allusions to warfare, could reflect the anticipation of attacks from the IRA, and how conflict is almost guaranteed within Ireland
Context for SOTI
could be criticising “The Troubles”
By alluding to Stormont, he could be pleading authority to stop the conflict or take a more pacifistic approach.
