Analyzing Heaney's 'Storm on the Island'
Explore Seamus Heaney's poem 'Storm on the Island' through a detailed analysis of the poet's language, structure, and historical context. Uncover the community's preparation for a storm, their initial confidence turning to realization of imminent danger. Discover the impact of the storm on the island and the fear it incites in the residents.
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Presentation Transcript
Clear and intelligent interpretation of the poems Clear and precise comparison of the poems Select a wide range of quotations which justify your points Analyse the poets use of language Analyse the poets use of structure Clearly explain the effects on the reader Use subject specific terminology A03 (6 marks) A01 (12 marks) A02 (12 marks) Relate the poems to their historical and social contexts
What is Heaneys Storm On The Island about? Knowledge Heaney is an Irish poet who here describes the impact of a storm on an island community. Skills: Close reading of the poem, focussed on meaning and content. Understanding: Annotate your anthology to demonstrate your understanding.
Storm on the Island We are prepared: we build our houses squat, Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate. The wizened earth had never troubled us With hay, so as you can see, there are no stacks Or stooks that can be lost. Nor are there trees Which might prove company when it blows full Blast: you know what I mean - leaves and branches Can raise a chorus in a gale So that you can listen to the thing you fear Forgetting that it pummels your house too. But there are no trees, no natural shelter. You might think that the sea is company, Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs But no: when it begins, the flung spray hits The very windows, spits like a tame cat Turned savage. We just sit tight while wind dives And strafes invisibly. Space is a salvo. We are bombarded by the empty air. Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear. I ve blanked out all the words of the poem apart from the opening phrase and the closing phrase. What do you expect the poem to be about, based on the title, the opening, and the closing? Clear and intelligent interpretation of the poems Select a wide range of quotations which justify your points A01
Storm on the Island We are prepared: we build our houses squat, Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate. The wizened earth had never troubled us With hay, so as you can see, there are no stacks Or stooks that can be lost. Nor are there trees Which might prove company when it blows full Blast: you know what I mean - leaves and branches Can raise a chorus in a gale So that you can listen to the thing you fear Forgetting that it pummels your house too. But there are no trees, no natural shelter. You might think that the sea is company, Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs But no: when it begins, the flung spray hits The very windows, spits like a tame cat Turned savage. We just sit tight while wind dives And strafes invisibly. Space is a salvo. We are bombarded by the empty air. Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear. It s a poem depicting a community readying themselves for a storm. At first they are calm and confident that they will be safe. The poem turns at But no: and the community realises the severity of the storm, and the danger they re in. Clear and intelligent interpretation of the poems Select a wide range of quotations which justify your points A01
How is Heaneys Storm On The Island written? Knowledge The single condensed stanza, and the language devices, are all used here to evoke the storm Heaney is describing. Skills: Close reading of the poem, focussed on language and structure. Understanding: Annotate your anthology to demonstrate your understanding.
The start of the poem has plenty of words with connotations of safety and security. Find some. exploding comfortably How does this piece of juxtaposition contribute to the overall mood and message of the poem? The power and violence of the storm is portrayed in numerous ways at the end of the poem. Look for examples of the following: Military language Similes Sibilance Analyse the poets use of language Clearly explain the effects on the reader Use subject specific terminology A02
The poem is written in iambic pentameter, making it mirror normal human speech. Why would Heaney want to make the poem conversational? The poem is one stanza long, and is compact and sturdy, just like the safe houses being described. Analyse the poets use of structure Clearly explain the effects on the reader Use subject specific terminology A02
Whywas Heaneys Storm On The Island written? Knowledge Heaney could be describing a literal small island attacked by a storm, but he could also be using it as a metaphor to describe how political and religious conflict has affected Ireland. Skills: Link contextual factors to textual details. Understanding: Annotate your anthology to demonstrate your understanding.
Heaney is an Irish poet, and Ireland has faced several violent political disturbances. For example, Irish Republicans have fought for freedom from British rule, and Catholics and Protestants have also fought one another violently. Could the storm be a metaphor for these conflicts? The common name for the Parliament of Northern Ireland is Stormont . Look again at the title: Storm on the island . Does that make you think the poem may be more political than it first seems? A03 Relate the poems to their historical and social contexts
How does Storm On The Island relate to the other poems in the anthology? Knowledge Several writers believe the nature is a powerful force. Skills: Make connections between two poems. Understanding: Write a thirty minute essay response to the comparison question.
Compare the power of nature as presented by Heaney and by one other poet of your choice. A01 Clear and precise comparison of the poems
