Storm on the Island and The Prelude

• What are the similarities shown related to 'Power of Nature' in both poems?

  -Both narrators initially believe that they can manipulate/overpower nature

  -Both narrators find the effects of nature overwhelming
• What are the differences shown related to 'Power of Nature' in both poems?

  -In 'The Prelude', nature leads to psychological affects; in 'Storm On The Island', nature leads to physical destruction

  -In 'Storm on the Island', nature is constantly viewed as a threat; in 'The Prelude', nature is initially seen as nurturing
• How does 'The Prelude' indicate ideas of manipulating nature?

  -'Unswerving line'

  • He views mankind and nature being united and working together, humanity being the dominant power, thus enabling him to manipulate water to his benefit and control his journey
  • This is then contrasted with Heaney 'heaving' through the water, suggesting that nature is resisting and fighting back, showing him who actually has the power
• How does 'Storm on the Island' indicate ideas of manipulating nature?

  -'We are prepared'

  • Arrogance in the declarative– they are bold and confident in their ability to overpower nature.
  • BUT also betrays their fear – they have completely adapted their lives to the purpose of resisting nature

  -No consistent rhyme scheme: order cannot be enforced upon nature, it is more powerful than humans, so humans have no way to control it. This contrasts with the very controlled rhythm, which works to show human power resisting the power and chaos of a storm.
• How does 'The Prelude' indicate that nature can be overwhelming?

  -'A huge peak, black and huge'

  • Nature’s true power leaves him speechless and his descriptions become more simplistic and clumsy.
  • The repetition of “huge” also emphasises the sheer size of the mountain. The repetition sounds like stuttering, which may suggest he's nervous and intimidated in the face of such raw power.

  -The entire extract is a single stanza which emphasises the overwhelming power of nature. This is heightened because there

  are no breaks or pauses which causes the reader to feel breathless.
• How does 'Storm on the Island' indicate that nature is overwhelming?

  -'Bombarded'

  • Suggests that the islander's are constantly under attack from nature, and that there is no way out
  • Use of plosive sounds reinforce the narrator's distraught feelings

  -The use of enjambment and a single stanza creates a barrage of information, as it mirrors the overwhelming power of storms. The reader becomes overwhelmed from the enjambment, which replicates the panicked feeling of the islanders.
• How does 'The Prelude' show the psychological effects of nature?

  -'Trouble to my dreams'

  • This phrase shows the long term impact nature has on him, this transformative effect could also be considered humbling but haunting.

  -Cyclical structure: the change that took place during the journey was psychological

  • He initially stole the boat because he viewed himself as dominant and had no care for consequences whereas at the end he “stole” away.on his return, “stole” becomes indicative of his humility and his fear in the face of nature’s true power.
• How does 'Storm on the Island' show the physical effects of nature?

  -'Strafes', 'salvos', 'bombards', 'pummels', 'exploding', 'blows full blast'

  • Semantic field of military terms- the storm is compared to a military plane, suggesting that the islanders are under attack from nature.
  • A tone of violence and aggression is created
  • The excessive use of plosives such “blows full blast” could be reflective of bullets.
• How does 'The Prelude' show that nature was initially nurturing?

  '(Led by her)'

  • This use of personification can be considered an allusion to the idea of Mother Nature.
  • Nature can be seen as female/feminine: it is responsible for creating, sustaining and nurturing life – like a mother.
  • Wordsworth is able to contrast the role of nature to the role of a human – whilst women nurture a single child; nature nurtures an entire planet thus demonstrating its superior power.
• How does 'Storm on the island' show that nature is a constant threat?

  -'Spits like a tame cat turned savage'

  • Replicates how the islanders never owned nature – it was always more powerful than them.
  • Islanders believed they had managed to become friendly and docile with the cat, but they were mistaken as the cat becomes aggressive.

  -The half rhyme between the first and last couplet creates a cyclical structure, connecting the preparation for the storm to the fear of the storm’s power. No matter what humans do, nature may destroy it because nature’s power is greater.