Storm on the Island

• The poem was part of the collection "death of a naturalist" which focused on Aran islands and unromanticised nature
• He is a Northern Ireland poet who grew up in a village as part of a farming community
• Dramatic monologue can symbolise a one sided conversation showing how isolated the are
• The cat

  " Spits like a tame cat // turned savage "

  • Simile and oxymoron
• The air overpowers them

  " We are bombarded by empty air "

  • Metaphor
• The waves are overpowering with ease

  " Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs "

  • Oxymoron
• The confidence of people

  " We are prepared : we build our houses squat "

  • In media res and collective pronoun we