Storm on the island

• 'Can raise a tragic chorus in a gale'


  conflict between humans and nature = like a bad choir, warning of unhappy events. This could reflect the unhappiness of the people on the island while the storm rages. The trees are personified to be swaying showing they will not protect us. In Greek drama, the chorus comments and explains events. Having no trees to be the chorus shows us how they face the storm alone
• 'We are bombarded with empty air'


  imagery is chaotic = 'bombarded' the verb creates imagery of violence and attacks. It also contains plosive b's and d's creating and intense atmosphere. Being hit by 'empty air' suggests the war has no foundation and no meaning. 'Empty' could also be the deadly winds we cannot see.
• 'exploding comfortably'


  nature is powerful and overwhelming = Oxymoron shows the sea is unpredictable and uncontrollable. 'comfortable' could be used to mock the idea that the sea is company and a friend
• 'Spits like a tame cat/ turned savage'


  we fear nature as we underestimate = enjambment mirrors the unpredictable nature of the storm. The 'tame' cat turns 'savage' is an oxymoron which suggests the familiar sea is now dangerous and overwhelms men. Could suggest that we have tried to tame nature and it looked that way (enjambment) but nature has waited for the right moment to pounce.