Storm on the Island and Exposure Flashcards
(29 cards)
Comparison 1
Both poems present nature as the enemy.
Comparison 2
Both poems present nature as dangerous forces – they use nature as an extended metaphor to criticise conflict.
Comparison 3
Both poems present how nature is more powerful than humanity.
Storm on the Island 1
In Storm on the Island, the speaker feels prepared for their encounter with nature.
Storm on the Island 1 - Quotes
“we are prepared”
“rock”/”slate”
Exposure 1
However, in Exposure, the soldiers are attacked from the beginning. They are unprepared for nature in the same way they were unprepared for the reality of war.
Exposure 1 - Quotes
“our brains ache”
“mad gusts tugging on the wire”
“but nothing happens”
Storm on the Island 2
In Storm on the Island, the speaker explores how the weather, something they are familiar with, becomes dangerous and violent – much like the religious conflict in Northern Ireland.
Storm on the Island 2 - Quotes
“spits like a tame cat turned savage”
Exposure 2
In Exposure, the weather is violent and destructive – it is the main enemy of the men. Owen uses this familiar concept of nature to explore how the government, another familiar concept, is to blame for the suffering of the men.
Exposure 2 - Quotes
“merciless iced east winds that knive us”
“ranks on ranks of shivering grey”
“dawn massing in the east, her melancholy army”
Storm on the Island 3
At the end of Storm on the Island, the islanders are terrified of the power of nature and their lack of ability to defend themselves.
Storm on the Island 3 - Quotes
“bombarded with empty air”
“it is a huge nothing that we fear”
Exposure 3
However, at the end of Exposure, the men are consumed by nature – they are entirely powerless in the face of the natural world.
Exposure 3 - Quotes
“all their eyes are ice”
“tonight this frost will fasten on the mud and us”
“we are prepared”
- immediately establishes tone of confidence, despite imminent threat (nature = threat)
- “prepared” overconfidence in ability to overpower nature/avoid its impact
- “we”: collective pronoun, sense of community
- safe due to collective preparation
- +even a whole community cannot control/overpower nature, thus demonstrating the sheer power nature has over humans.
“rock”/”slate”
- natural imagery
- sense of security, typically strong materials
- demonstrates islanders’ view that they’ll be safe
- “rock”: strong/sturdy, demonstrates level of percieved protection
- arrogance of man: strong materials enough to control nature and defeat the common enemy
- ironic - using nature to protect from nature - no human-made structure can overcome the power of nature
“pummels”/”blows full blast”
- Heaney intended for storm to be ext metaphor for conflict in NI as nature is so overwhelmingly powerful it transcends human power so it is arguably the most appropriate metaphor for the conflict
- demonstrates how humans will never overpower force of religion/nature +instead will fall victim to devastating effects of the conflict
-evident through violent verbs
“pummels” - hard-hitting motion, how severely island hit by storm/religious conflicts
-highlights fear, demonstrates feeling of under attack from govt/nature, which jxt initial arrogance and security
“our brains ache”
“our”/”us”- collective pronouns
-highlights universal nature of xps of war
- present tense
- never ending cycle of pain+misery in war
“ache”- cn of ongoing pain
-mirrors xp of soldiers, as faced with constant emotional+physical pain, despite dullness of war
“mad gusts tugging on the wire”
“tugging” - pull hard and suddenly, unsuspectng soldiers
“mad” - frenzied mental or physical state
-cn something animalistic - nature cannot be controlled
-perhaps illustrates the everlasting damage on the soldiers’ mind
“but nothing happens”
- refrain
- war monotonous and dull
- soldiers waiting for something to happen yet never does
- xposed to more than just conflict
- highlights needless suffering as soldiers just waiting to die
“spits like a tame cat turned savage”
-“cat” domestic animal, usually doesn’t bring harm
-highlights how things once familiar/calm can quickly become frightening
-“tame”/”savage” adj jxt
“tame”- cn something calm, like island before storm/conflict
“savage” cn something out of control + even dangerous, like wild animal
-highights mistaken belief islanders had “tamed” nature, showing inherent conflict of man + nature due to clear power imbalance as islanders had attempted + failed to control nature
-use of sibilance creates hissing sound, highlights violent/aggressive nature of conflict
-+may demonstrate how nature (+religion) is sinister force capable of unfathomable destruction, due to dangerous cn of “savage”
-mirrors how Heaney believed religious conflicts out of control.
-supported by perhaps venomous tone created through sibilance, may reflect deep distrust of Catholics + Protetants.
-therefore demonstrates inherent conflict btwn man + nature as it shows how humans attempt to “tame” nature yet will ultimately always fail.
“merciless iced east winds that knive us”
- sibilance
-may mirror harshness of wind, shows terrible conditions forced to fight in
-alt. cn cold/emotionless - deceit, govt detatched from suffering
-may give impression govt is deceiving soldiers in sense that are sent out to war, innocent of knowledge of reality
“knife” close contact weapon, easily concealed- highlights how poet feels govt personally/openly deceived them, as they knew many of men wont make out alive
“ranks on shivering ranks of grey”
“grey” -cn of lifelessness - emphatic of dullness of war
- war ultimately pointless, all life will be destroyed
- could refer to DE uniforms (also grey)
- immediateley aligns nature w/ enemy
- nature common enemy between all soldiers, no matter which side they fight on
- nature transcends all man made concepts, including war
