Island Man Grace Nichols

to the sound of blue surf in his head the steady breaking and wombing Morning and island man wakes up to the sound of blue surf in his head the steady breaking and wombing Why is this in the present tense? Which technique is used here and why? What is she describing here? What does the image `wombing’ suggest?

And fishermen pushing out to sea The sun surfacing defiantly Wild seabirds And fishermen pushing out to sea The sun surfacing defiantly What sort of place is the island? What does the personification`defiantly’ suggest about the sun? Why then are `s’ sounds repeated in the alliteration?

Why do you think there is a big gap here? from the east of his small emerald island he always comes back groggily groggily The poet uses a metaphor to describe the island. What does `emerald’ suggest about what it looks like, and the man’s feelings about it? Why do you think there is a big gap here?

What does this onomatopoeic word tell us about the noise? Comes back to sands of a grey metallic soar to surge of wheels to dull North circular roar Another metaphor, as there are no sands in London. What do you think the poet means? What do the words `dull’ and `grey’ suggest about London? Do they contrast with anything else in the poem? What does this onomatopoeic word tell us about the noise?

his crumpled pillow waves island man heaves himself muffling muffling his crumpled pillow waves island man heaves himself Another London day. What is the island man’s mood here? What is he doing? What is the pillow being compared to in this metaphor? What does this tell us about his feelings about getting up for work in London? What is the man’s mood at the end of the poem?

How do you think the island man feels about where he came from, and his new life in London? Why do you think the poem is written in the present tense?