Storm on the Island Flashcards
Form
- The form of this poem is political
Structure
- Ending stanza is 4 lines long, while all the previous stanzas were all 5 lines long, perhaps we might argue that he asking his readers to write the final line, which he would hope to be a solution to the conflict, rather than a continuation of it.
- It does not end with a rhyming couplet but only with a half rhyme, gives that feeling of unease and incompletion, therefore he invites the Northern Ireland people to write the final line to make it complete so it can rhyme with a happy ending which would solve and end the conflict
“Strom on the Island”
HOMOPHONE: Stormont is the name of the parliament of Northern Ireland and “Island” is a homophone for Ireland
JUXTAPOSISTION: he is juxtaposing the size of the huge storm with the small island, and therefore we think its think its something that is huge and affecting us but actually it is small and island sized, so he is pointing out this is a small problem that could be easily overcome.
Second quote
“Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate. This wizened earth has never troubled us”
Second quote analysis
SIBILIANCE: sibilance gives the idea of a sinister mood, which reflects that storm is sinister but also as a political symbol. He is arguing that the conflict between the Catholic and protestant is also sinister. Harsh consonance which help to reflect the harsh experience that the Island is going through.
IRONY: use of Irony to describe how he “sinks walls” and not builds them. Which reflects how when people build their identity as Catholic or Protestant we create walls, but what actually happens in that we are sinking, we are diminishing our experiences.
METAPHOR: The building of the house becomes a metaphor for how we are constructing something, which is JUXTAPOSED by the verb “sink” which shows that we are destroying our identity and our country. Our country being his country. Northern Ireland.
Third quote
“So that you listen to the thing you fear Forgetting that it pummels your house too”
Third quote analysis
DIRECT ADDRESS: He is talking about both protestant and catholic, but he describes them both as “you”. That says that this division between “you” is not real, it is an allusion and is why he talking to both of “you”. Which is emphasised by their “fear”, which is what they have in common. His political point is that there is no difference between Catholic and protestant. Actually they are just afraid of each other, but its their fear that they have in common. If the are able to get rid of their fear then they will be able to live in peace with each other. The METAPHOR here is saying if you stop fearing the storm then the storm will have no power to destroy you.
SYMBOLISM: any violence committed by one side is the same as violence committed against yourself, if you damage them, they will damage you and so you are essentially attacking yourself in the process of attacking them. The symbol of the “house” is also important as it shows that the violence in Northern Ireland is also destroying peoples homes and their own way of life. While they think they are protecting it, no they are actually destroying it through their own fear.
FRICATIVES OF “fear” AND “forgetting” : This shows a sense of anger in the poet. And he is angry because the people aren’t listening to him but they are listening to their own fears and he wants to stop that and make them listen to his voice of wise dome, which is that we are equal and we shouldn’t be at war with each other.
Fourth quote
“You might think that the sea is company, Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs”
Fourth quote analysis
PERSONIFICATION: He personifies the sea, the sea being “company” is a bizarre image as the sea is large and isolated. it is the very opposite of company. He does this to JUXTAPOSE the reality of Ireland being isolated in the sea with the perception that the Northern Ireland population think that the conflict between the Catholic and the Protestant is world wide, while in reality they are isolated from the rest of the world and therefore should change.
OXYMORON: The oxymoron of “exploding comfortably”
Fourth quote analysis
PERSONIFICATION: He personifies the sea, the sea being “company” is a bizarre image as the sea is large and isolated. it is the very opposite of company. He does this to JUXTAPOSE the reality of Ireland being isolated in the sea with the perception that the Northern Ireland population think that the conflict between the Catholic and the Protestant is world wide, while in reality they are isolated from the rest of the world and therefore should change.
OXYMORON: The oxymoron of “exploding comfortably” symbolises the way that Catholic and Protestant fought was through shooting and bombing places in each others territory, which is why there is a deliberate reference to bombing. The use of the adjective “comfortably” shows that people are becoming comfortable with bombs, they are not something that we should be comfortable with and they are completely unnatural and will eventually get closer and closer to where you live, not only in Northern Ireland but also in the main land in Britain which shows the predictive nature of poem and that the violence can only get worse and worse.
Fifth quote
“strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear”
Fifth quote analysis
METAPHOR: The moral lesson is that we have this huge fear, but actually there is nothing to be afraid of. The Catholic and Protestant both have the same beliefs
CEASURA: The use of the abstract noun “ strange” helps to the reader to pause and think that although their whole life they have lived through bombings and explosions and guns and violence, actually it is completely abnormal and strange. which is also emphasised by the OXYMORON of “huge nothing”, which shows that the “nothing” that they “fear” has had a “huge” hold and impact over them as if it leading to terrorism and death. but If we realise that it was a war over nothing then we would be able to stop
