Storm on the island Flashcards
(15 cards)
“dives _ _ _”
“dives and strafes invisibly”
“spits _ _ tame _ _ _”
“spits like a tame cat turned savage”
“_ comfortably”
“explodes comfortably”
violent words
“pummels” “spits” “flung”
“trees _ might _ _”
“trees which might provide company”
“leaves and branches _ _ _ _ _ _ _ gail”
“leaves and branches can raise a tragic chorus in a gail”
“_ _ listen to _ _ _ _ fear”
“you can listen to just the thing you fear”
“we _ _ tight”
“we just sit tight”
“we _ bombarded _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _”
“we are bombarded by the empty air, a huge nothing that we fear”
communal effort quotes
“we are prepared” “you know what i mean”
Context in storm on the island
heaney was known for his explorations of irish identity, history and politics.
-poem is published at the start of ‘the troubles’ in ireland
-poem may be a metaphor for the political storm that was building in the country at the time
- ‘stormont’ name of political party
structure/ form in storm on the island
- blank verse, lots of enjambment- conversational tone
-poem split in three sections
-we are prepared (ironic)
-violence of storm
-fear - volta in line 14 “but no” -final calm before storm
key themes in storm on the island
-power of nature
-political conflict
-lack of control/ helplessness
-isolation compared to community
subjugated definition
bring under domination or control, especially by conquest
-the storm subjugated the community
_ earth _ _ _ _
wizened earth has never troubled us
