Storm on the Island Flashcards
Who wrote storm on the island?
Seamus Heaney
What is the very strong opening statement that creates a feeling of safety?
“We are prepared”
What is meant by “squat,” “sink walls in rock” and “good slate.”?
There are lots of words about safety in the first two lines. The end-stopping reinforces this feeling of security, which disappears with the enjambment in the rest of the poem
What does the “wizened earth” suggest?
The island seems barren
What does the word “company” suggest?
It emphasises the loneliness of the setting
What plosive sound is used?
“Blast”
In which quotations does the narrator speak directly to the reader in a chatty tone ?
“you know what i mean” and “you can listen to the thing you fear”
What does the quotation “tragic chorus” suggest?
Having no trees to act as a chorus suggests the islanders are left on their own to face and interpret the storm
What violent verb describes the wind?
“pummels”
What is the purpose of the caesurae in “but there are no trees, no natural shelter”
it slows the pace of the line and emphasises the second “no”
What oxymoron juxtaposes the feelings of fear and shelter?
“exploding comfortably”
What simile shows how familiar things become frightening during the storm?
“spits like a tame cat turned savage”
What does “it begins” “spray hits “sit” and “wind” suggest?
The assonant “i” sounds and sibilant sounds combine to imitate the hissing and spitting of the sea
What does “strafes” connote?
This is language normal used to describe war. The wind is compared to a fighter plane attacking the island
What is the final line, which states that the storm in invisible and that theres nothing solid there?
“it is a huge nothing that we fear”
