storm on the island

• context

  • seamus heaney : 1939 - 2015 , northern irish
  • conflict in northern ireland began in 1960s
  • catholic vs protestant
  • poem is part of a collection of poems called ‘ death of a naturalist ‘ about aran islands about power of nature
  • ’ stormont ‘ name of parliament buildings in ireland
• structure

  half rhyme

  • only manageable in a storm
  • full rhyme would be too perfect or obvious

  cyclical

  • begins and end with half rhyme
  • ‘squat’ ‘slate’
  • ’air’ ‘fear’
  • storm is inescapable and will happen again and again but narrator / residents used to it
• iambic pentameter 


  iambic pentameter

  • tradition of english poetry :
  • wants to infuse it with his own irish culture and ancestral experiences
  • mixed with everyday irish talk ( ‘ you know what i mean ‘ )
  • reflects conflict between english and irish
• structure

  • 1 stanza
  • enjambment
  • caesura

  create overwhelming feeling and convey chaos - reflects storm
• themes

  • power of nature
  • conflict in ireland
• quotes

  • ‘ space is a salvo ‘ - metaphor
  • ’ spits like a tame cat ‘ - simile
  • ’ it’s a huge nothing that we fear ‘ - oxymoron

  insignificance of the storm compared to rest of universe

  • ‘ sea is company ‘
  • ’ exploding comfortably ‘
  • ’ you know what i mean ‘
  • ’ we ‘ - pronoun suggests opposition ( catholic vs protestent )
• semantic field 


  of war

  • ‘ blast ‘
  • ’ pummels ‘
  • ‘ exploding ‘
  • ’ strafes ‘
  • ’ salvo ‘
  • ’ bombarded ‘

  storm is a microcosm for context in ireland