Storm on the island

• Who wrote storm on the Island

  Heany
• Themes of Storm on the Island

  • Power of nature
  • Conflict
• The form of Storm on the Island

  • poem is 1 unbroken stanza of 19 lines, could be interpreted to represent the power of nature and the unrelenting storm
  • extended metaphor, for The Troubles in Northern Ireland
  • oncoming storm is a metaphor for the oncoming conflict and violence
  • poem’s title spells out the word “Stormont island" "island” is a  homophone of “Ireland”
  • Stormont is the name of the building that houses the government of Northern Ireland
  • The poem could be interpreted as an expression of the fear that grips a community when tensions run high and potential violence looms
• Structure in Storm on the Island

  • iambic pentameter
  • no consistent rhyme scheme
  • cyclical structure
• What does the cyclical structure of Storm on the Island show and how


  • starts with “houses squat/good slate” and ends with “the empty air/huge nothing that we fear”
  • connects the preparation for the storm to the fear of the storm’s power at the end
  • Also shows resilience of islanders, as storms come over and over, and the islands have learned to live with them
  • cycle then is one of preparation, storm and recovery, which is never-ending, like nature
• What does the lack of a consistent rhyme scheme in Storm on the Island show and how

  suggests that order cannot be enforced upon nature, and humans have no way to control it
• What does the iambic pentameter in Storm on the Island show and how

  • Maintains a constant rhythm, as the speaker acts as a spokesperson for islanders, maintaining a conversational tone
  • However, regularity of the meter can also make it feel tense, as though the speaker cannot fully relax knowing what is coming
  • the line which starts with “Blast” breaks iambic pentameter
  • These convey the strength, violence and wildness of the storm
• Language showing the power of nature

  • "We are prepared"
  • "Wizened earth"
  • "you know what I mean" "You might think" "But no"
  • "pummels your house too"
  • "spits like a tame cat"
• "We are prepared" and the power of nature

  The islanders are confident in their ability to withstand nature, but this also shows that they have had to adapt to resist nature; nature always has the upper hand
• "Wizened earth" and the power of nature

  • personification
  • This emphasises the earth’s age and wisdom, and the respect it is due
• "you know what I mean" "You might think" "But no" and the power of nature

  •  colloquialisms
  • This emphasises the collective nature of the poem; everyone can experience the impact of nature
• "pummels your house too" and the power of nature

  • personified
  • This makes the wind sound aggressive like it is deliberately attacking the islanders
• "spits like a tame cat" and the power of nature

  • simile
  • implies mistaken belief that the islanders may have tamed nature, but the cat turns against its owner, suggesting that nature cannot be tamed
• Language showing conflict in Storm on the Island

  • "blows full/Blast:"
  • "blows", "blast", "pummels", "exploding", "spits", "flung", "savage", "dives", "salvo" and "bombarded"
• "blows", "blast", "pummels", "exploding", "spits", "flung", "savage", "dives", "salvo" and "bombarded" and conflict

  • Semantic field of war
  • By using this language, Heaney shows that the islanders are under attack from nature
  • It suggests the enormous power of nature, that it can achieve the same as an army in the conflict between nature and humankind
• "blows full/Blast:" and conflict

  • plosives
  • This gives a sense of violence and aggression, as nature is attacking the island like bullets
• "dives and strafes" and conflict

  • metaphor of the wind as an enemy fighter plane
  • further reinforces the idea of the storm deliberately attacking and bombarding the island