Storm on the Island by Seamus Heaney Critical Essay skills

Learning Intentions You are reviewing the role of the critical essay in the Higher English exam. You are revising and strengthening essential skills in critical essay writing, such as: Writing an impressive introduction Constructing accurate, well-formed paragraphs Ensuring your response is consistently relevant to the question.

Critical Essay – how it is examined Part of the Critical Reading paper (along with your Scottish Text question) You need to select and write ONE critical essay. By the time of the exam, you will be able to choose from poetry or drama you have studied throughout the year. You will have three questions to choose from in each section. Your critical essay is marked out of 20. You need to get 10/20 to pass this part of the exam. You must memorise quotations to show a sound understanding of the text. The two main reasons an essay will fail are technical inaccuracy and failure to fully answer the essay question.

Choosing an essay question Not every essay question is suitable! Your ability to discard some questions and choose others is very important. The more you know your text, the more questions you will be able to answer. Only by working with past papers will you be able to familiarise yourself with the type of question to be found in the Higher critical essay paper. The format / layout of the paper is identical to National 5, but the questions are much more specific and challenging!

Your introduction This is the examiner’s first impression of you – so it is vital that you make a huge effort to impress. Your introduction effectively sets up the rest of your essay – it is here that you introduce the argument you will be making throughout your essay. You need to up your game from National 5!

Getting rid of bad habits! ‘Storm on the Island’ is a poem by Seamus Heaney that presents nature as a destructive force. In this essay I am going to discuss how Heaney presents nature as a destructive force. I will be looking at techniques such as word choice, imagery and sentence structure. Identify two positives. Can you identify any negatives? I hope so!

‘Storm on the Island’ is a poem by Seamus Heaney that presents nature as a destructive force. In this essay I am going to discuss how Heaney presents nature as a destructive force. I will be looking at techniques such as word choice, imagery and sentence structure. Avoid any ‘I am’ or ‘I will’ type sentences. It’s stating the obvious and sounds very mechanical. Examiners don’t like it; they think it sounds too basic for Higher. Avoid the ‘shopping list’ of techniques! Examiners don’t like it. Again, it’s stating the obvious – and better essay writers have more interesting things to say in their introductions.

In his powerful poem, ‘Storm on the Island,’ Seamus Heaney presents nature as a destructive force. He vividly describes the devastation a storm can wreak upon a small island community, and how it forces the islanders to live in perpetual fear of the elements. By presenting the storm as such a destructive force, Heaney is able to effectively convey his poem’s main concern: that humanity is infinitely weaker than, and easily defeated by, nature.

In his powerful poem, ‘Storm on the Island,’ Seamus Heaney presents nature as a destructive force. He vividly describes the devastation a storm can bring upon a small island community, and how it forces the islanders to live in perpetual fear of the elements. By presenting the storm as such a destructive force, Heaney is able to effectively convey his poem’s main concern: that humanity is infinitely weaker than, and easily defeated by, nature.

Introduction: how to impress The obvious! TITLE, AUTHOR, GENRE. Use KEY WORDS from the essay question you have chosen – this will show you are trying to produce a relevant, focussed answer. A short SUMMARY works well. Use EVALUATION WORDS (effective, powerful, successful, thought-provoking, vivid, insightful…) to convey your opinion on the poem. Show an understanding of THEME, even if the question isn’t specifically about theme.

Example 1 Seamus Heaney’s thought-provoking poem ‘Storm on the Island’ creates a sense of menace from the outset. Heaney describes the destructive impact of ruthless stormy weather upon an isolated island and its inhabitants. Heaney’s effective description of the storm as it invades homes, and brings chaos to the island, evokes a menacing atmosphere. In this pessimistic poem, Heaney skilfully reveals that natural forces are always able to defeat humanity.

Example 2 A sinister tone is created by Irish poet Seamus Heaney in his bleak poem ‘Storm on the Island.’ From the beginning, Heaney vividly describes the hardships faced by an island community, such as the constant threat of destructive weather and the barrenness of the land. By powerfully describing the weather’s relentless assault on the island, as well as the terror it induces amongst those who live there, Heaney maintains a sinister tone throughout.

Your turn! Choose essay question 1, 2 or 3. Write a detailed introduction, making use of everything you have learned so far. The most important thing is for you to use the question’s key words. It is vital that you show you are answering the question throughout – and this begins with the introduction. TIME: 7 minutes

Peer assessment! READ your partner’s introduction. HIGHLIGHT / UNDERLINE and label each of the following… Basics (title, author, genre) Reference to essay question, using its key words Short summary of poem Evaluation words Understanding of poem’s theme / main ideas.

Constructing paragraphs You now need to answer the essay question as fully as you can. You do this by creating a series of well- structured and well-developed paragraphs, each of which must show your ability to: UNDERSTAND the poem ANALYSE and EVALUATE its language ANSWER the question – stay focussed and relevant. EXPRESS your ideas in a fluent, well-structured way.

Basic paragraph structure POINT: In your first few sentences, outline the POINT to be made and developed in the paragraph. It’s a good idea to use the question’s key words, too. EVIDENCE: Support the point you’ve made with a matching quotation from the poem. EXPLANATION: Go on to analyse and evaluate the quote, identifying techniques and explaining their impact IN DETAIL. REFERENCE TO QUESTION: Sum up your discussion, linking it back to the essay question by using its key words. ‘Thus’ and ‘therefore’ are good summing-up words.

Your conclusion – Dos and Don’ts! Should be fairly short. Should begin with an appropriate ‘conclusion’ phrase (in conclusion / to conclude / in summation/ it can therefore be seen / it is therefore apparent / it is thus clear…) Should sum up your ideas, and clearly link back to the essay topic you have chosen. Should reflect on the poem’s theme / message / purpose. Should not introduce any new ideas, or feature quotes / analysis.

Model conclusion It is therefore clear that Heaney’s ‘Storm on the Island’ is a poem that makes highly effective use of a sinister tone. Heaney’s description of the storm as a ruthless force that destroys an isolated community is incredibly sinister. His use of such a tone is effective in portraying the island not as a place of sanctuary, but as a war zone. Throughout the poem, Heaney thus presents us with a rather pessimistic theme: that nature is an infinitely greater force than mankind, and one that will always defeat us.

TIMED ESSAY TASK Choose a suitable essay question from the 2013 past paper. You have the rest of period 1 to plan your essay. Create a plan that is no longer than ONE side of A4. This plan should include the quotes you intend to use, plus bullet point analysis notes. You may work together and ask for help at this stage. You will have a 5 minute break… And then have 45 minutes to write the actual essay! You will only be allowed your plan – no jotter or copy of the poem.

Essay Question Choose a poem that explores either the beauty or the power of the natural world. Show how the poet explores the beauty or the power of the natural world, and discuss how this exploration deepened your understanding of the poem’s theme.

Essay Submission Hand in your essay on Wednesday 2nd September. It should be neatly handwritten. Include at least 8 quotes. See me in advance if you are having any difficulties.