Island Man

• Grace Nichols


  Caribbean, modern contemporary writer
• Grace Nichols was born in Guyana in 1950 and migrated to the UK in 1977
• Grace Nichols' writing


  • Reflects sense of belonging and exclusion
  • Combines Creole language and standard English
  • Combines experiences of living in the Caribbean and the UK
  • Makes use of Caribbean rhythms and cultures
• Island Man


  Poem by Grace Nichols featured in Edexcel's Belonging anthology
• Island Man was written in 1984
• Island Man


  • Explores the immigrant experience of having a dual identity
  • Contrasts the tranquil life on a Caribbean island with the hectic urban life in London
• Island man wakes up


  Hears the sounds of the blue surf, sea birds, and fishermen in his head
• Island man


  Always comes back groggily to the grey, metallic, and muffling environment of London
• Island man's life on the island


  Surrounded by nature, freedom, and tranquility
• Island man's life in London


  Busy, hectic, and focused on survival
• Grace Nichols: '"Morning an island man wakes up to the sound of blue surf in his head"'
• The poem is written in free verse to reflect a stream of consciousness
• The title "Island Man" focuses attention on the man's journey and trajectory
• The repetition of "back" suggests the island man's yearning to return to the island
• The contrast between the island's natural imagery and the urban imagery of London highlights the island man's dual identity