storm on the island

Question 1

What feeling does the opening statement of the poem create?

Answer 1

A feeling of safety

This contrasts with the last line of the poem.

Question 2

What does the island seem like in the poem?

Answer 2

Barren, nothing grows there.

Question 3

How does the plosive sound affect the impact of the poem?

Answer 3

It has a greater impact because it comes at the start of the line.

Question 4

What role does the ‘chorus’ play in a Greek tragedy?

Answer 4

Comments on and explains events.

Question 5

What does the absence of trees suggest in the poem?

Answer 5

The islanders are left on their own to face and interpret the storm.

Question 6

What effect does caesura have in the poem?

Answer 6

Slows the pace of the line and emphasizes the second ‘no’.

Question 7

What literary device juxtaposes feelings of fear and safety?

Answer 7

Oxymoron.

Question 8

What is the wind compared to in the poem?

Answer 8

A fighter plane attacking the island.

Question 9

What does the phrase ‘We are prepared’ indicate?

Answer 9

The islanders build their houses to withstand the storm.

Question 10

What does the term ‘wizened earth’ imply?

Answer 10

The earth is dried up and unproductive.

Question 11

What are ‘stooks’?

Answer 11

Bundles of a crop stacked together and left in a field to dry.

Question 12

What does the narrator suggest about the sea?

Answer 12

It is not a source of comfort but a threat.

Question 13

How does the poem describe the impact of the storm?

Answer 13

The storm is invisible; there’s nothing solid there.

Question 14

What contrasts with the solid rock mentioned in the poem?

Answer 14

The huge nothing that we fear.

Question 15

What reinforces the feeling of security in the first two lines?

Answer 15

End-stopping.

Question 16

What does the word ‘company’ emphasize in the poem?

Answer 16

Loneliness or insecurity.

Question 17

What tone does the narrator use when speaking to the reader?

Answer 17

A chatty tone.

Question 18

What type of imagery does the simile in the poem evoke?

Answer 18

Familiar things becoming frightening during the storm.

Question 19

What sounds imitate the hissing and spitting of the sea?

Answer 19

Assonant ‘i’ sounds and sibilant sounds.

Question 20

What context does the poem hint at regarding Northern Ireland?

Answer 20

The violent political disturbances between Catholics and Protestants.

Question 21

What does the first eight letters of the poem’s title spell?

Answer 21

Stormont.

Question 22

What literary term describes the action of ‘to rake with gunfire’?

Answer 22

Strafe.

Question 23

Fill in the blank: The word ‘salvo’ refers to _______.

Answer 23

[lots of guns firing at once].

Question 24

Who was Seamus Heaney?

Answer 24

A Northern Irish poet who wrote about childhood, nature, and his homeland.

Heaney lived from 1939 to 2013 and is known for his impactful poetry.

Question 25

What year was the poem published?

Answer 25

1966

Question 26

What does the narrator describe in the poem?

Answer 26

The community's initial confidence in being prepared for a coming storm. ## Footnote This confidence diminishes as the storm develops.

Question 27

What literary form is the poem written in?

Answer 27

Blank verse

Question 28

What does the use of the first person plural ('We') signify in the poem?

Answer 28

It shows a collective, communal experience.

Question 29

How is the poem structured?

Answer 29

It shifts from security to fear, with 'But no:' as a turning point (volta).

Question 30

What does the slow pace of the monosyllabic phrase and caesura reflect?

Answer 30

The last moments of calm before the storm.

Question 31

How does the narrator describe safety at the beginning of the poem?

Answer 31

With many words related to safety and security.

Question 32

What happens to the tone of the poem as it progresses?

Answer 32

It changes from safety to fear, increasing the sense of danger.

Question 33

What is the effect of direct address in the poem?

Answer 33

It involves the reader in the narrator's fear.

Question 34

How is the storm described in the poem?

Answer 34

In violent, often warlike terms, using similes, metaphors, and personification.

Question 35

What types of sounds are used to demonstrate the strength of nature?

Answer 35

Forceful sounds, assonant and sibilant sounds.

Question 36

What feeling does the community experience at the start of the poem?

Answer 36

Safety and preparedness for the storm.

Question 37

What emotion replaces the initial sense of security as the storm approaches?

Answer 37

Fear

Question 38

What does the feeling of helplessness indicate about the community's situation?

Answer 38

They can't do anything about their fear except wait for the storm to finish.

Question 39

What is a key theme of the poem?

Answer 39

Power of nature, fear, individual experiences of place.

Question 40

Fill in the blank: The poem compares the sea to a _______.

Answer 40

tame cat / Turned savage

Question 41

True or False: The poem is all in one stanza.

Answer 41

True

Question 42

What literary devices are used to reflect the noise of the wind and waves?

Answer 42

Assonant and sibilant sounds.

Question 43

What effect does describing the 'leaves and branches' as a 'tragic chorus' have?

Answer 43

It enhances the emotional impact of the storm.

Question 44

Why does the poem address the reader directly?

Answer 44

To create a sense of immediacy and involvement.

Question 45

What can be compared with this poem regarding feelings for a place?

Answer 45

'The Emigrée' or 'London'.

Question 46

What does the metaphor of a storm represent in the context of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland?

Answer 46

Violence in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland ## Footnote The storm symbolizes the tumultuous nature of conflict in these regions.

Question 47

What is the significance of the term 'Stormont' in the poem?

Answer 47

It refers to Northern Irish government buildings, indicating the political context ## Footnote 'Stormont' is a key location in the governance of Northern Ireland.

Question 48

How is the lexical field of violence represented in the poem?

Answer 48

Through words like 'blast', 'salvo', 'exploding', 'strafes', and 'bombarded' ## Footnote These terms evoke a sense of warfare and aggression.

Question 49

What type of rhythm is employed in the poem?

Answer 49

Iambic pentameter ## Footnote This rhythm contributes to the poem's formal structure.

Question 50

What does the use of personal pronouns like 'we' indicate about the narrator?

Answer 50

The narrator is part of a community facing danger ## Footnote This inclusion suggests collective experience and shared fears.

Question 51

What tone does the poem shift from and to?

Answer 51

From optimistic to disillusioned and afraid ## Footnote This tonal shift reflects the narrator's changing perspective on their situation.

Question 52

What does the phrase 'huge nothing' represent in the poem?

Answer 52

An oxymoron implying a tragic absence or loss ## Footnote This suggests the emptiness felt amidst the violence.

Question 53

How does enjambment contribute to the poem?

Answer 53

It creates a sense of danger and surprise ## Footnote The flow of lines without pauses enhances the urgency of the imagery.

Question 54

What literary device is used to personify the wind in the poem?

Answer 54

Wind is described as 'blows full /Blast' and 'spits like a tame cat /Turned savage' ## Footnote This personification intensifies the aggressive nature of the storm.

Question 55

What does sibilance convey in the poem?

Answer 55

A subtle sense of threat ## Footnote The hissing sounds emphasize danger and tension.

Question 56

What is the effect of using alliteration with hard consonants in the poem?

Answer 56

It reflects aggression ## Footnote This technique enhances the violent imagery of the poem.

Question 57

What is the significance of the phrase 'the sea doesn't do this though'?

Answer 57

It suggests a contrast between nature's indifference and human conflict ## Footnote This line highlights the narrator's feeling of helplessness.

Question 58

Fill in the blank: The poem's tone changes from _______ to disillusioned and afraid.

Answer 58

optimistic

Question 59

True or False: The narrator expresses gratitude for the 'small mercies' despite the surrounding violence.

Answer 59

True ## Footnote This reflects a complex emotional response to their circumstances.

Question 60

What does the metaphor of the storm imply about the narrator's understanding of violence?

Answer 60

It suggests a deeper understanding of senseless violence ## Footnote The narrator's perspective contrasts with a broader view of the conflict.