Who is Heaney?
An Irish poet, playwright and translator
Focused on rural life and identity
Grew up during the ‘troubles’ he grew up in a rural isolated area
He was born in 1939 and died in 2013
It was publishes in his first poetry collection death of a naturalist
What is the meaning behind the title of the poem?
Stormont Ireland - metaphor for the storm that troubled Ireland.
Why does Heaney use Iambic Pentameter?
It shows how the government wants to control the IRA
When was Storm on the Island published?
1964 - this allowed him to attract attention of publication where he could later release death of a naturalist
What was the main story line within death of a naturalist?
It was about three different islands in Ireland called Aaron islands - storm on the island.
What are some of the meanings of Storm on the Island?
The power of nature - storm destroying a house
Metaphor of the conflict in Ireland
“spits like a tame cat turned savage”
the strom turns everything wild
“it is a huge nothing that we fear”
Oxymoron
What happens with the language throughout the poem?
He is confident in the first part that the houses can withstand the storm and throughout the poem he sounds more and more desperate.
What is this poems link with the prelude?
Its idea of the uncontrollable power of nature, the poems structure reflects the uncomfortable and uncontrollable aspect of nature.
Why is the poem one long stanza with varying sentences?
It prevents a lack of breathing space while reading making the tone more dramatic with the overwhelming reflection of the situation to show how it would be like in the storm
Why is enjambment used?
Constant barrage of information - barrage from the storm
Why is informal chatty language used?
Contrast between language of conflict and power and the language of everyday life is oxymoron - this is everyday life for the narrator.
Why does the author use oxymoron’s?
Such as exploding comfortably.
It shows how over time he has made sense of this way of life.
What is the rhyme scheme within this poem?
It contains very little rhyme, shows the lack of control, half rhyme is used in the opening and closing couplets - the stressed syllables of the end constanents rhyme bu the vowel sounds before them do not.
Why is half rhyme used?
This shows how only half rhyme can be used. The storm refuse to be controlled or organised - shows the chaos. Full rhyme is too perfect to reflect the nature of the storm.
Why does the poem end and begin with half rhyme?
It shows the in inescapable nature of the storm - cyclical structure , way of life for the narrator.
What is the form of this poem?
Can be seen as a dramatic monologue - shows the lack of voice, one sided voice - inequality reflects the imbalance between the speaker and nature.
How are colons used within the poem?
They are used to split the structure into three defined parts of the story
The build up
The storm
The aftermath
