Storm on the island

Context (Ao3) Heaney born in Northern Island (a place of conflict between Catholics and Protestants). His early poetry has a focus on rural life and nature. This poem was published in Death of a Naturalist. It is based on a real island called Aran Islands.

Seeing this poem about power and conflict Power of nature Conflict A storm hitting a house. Humans being weak against nature’s power The poem is a metaphor for the conflict and fighting in Northern Island.

Storm on the island The title of the poem could be linked to politics and conflict because Stormont is the Parliament Building in Northern Ireland (a central place that dealt with the conflict)

Northern island- what happened? Island is split up into Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland that is separate from the United Kingdom. From 1968- 1988 (30 years), over 3,600 people were killed during a time called The Troubles. This is because the Protestants (unionists) fought to stay part of the United Kingdom but the Catholics fought to become independent. A terrorist group called the IRA was formed (mostly Catholic) who used terrorist tactics to push for Ireland to be independent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5kvWpk51Qs

Ireland – the troubles

Let’s read the poem We are prepared: we build our houses squat, Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate. The wizened earth had never troubled us With hay, so as you can see, there are no stacks Or stooks that can be lost. Nor are there trees Which might prove company when it blows full Blast: you know what I mean - leaves and branches Can raise a chorus in a gale So that you can listen to the thing you fear Forgetting that it pummels your house too. But there are no trees, no natural shelter. You might think that the sea is company, Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs But no: when it begins, the flung spray hits The very windows, spits like a tame cat Turned savage. We just sit tight while wind dives And strafes invisibly. Space is a salvo. We are bombarded by the empty air. Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear stack/ stook Haystacks wizened Dried up strafe Attacking with gunfire salvo bombing

STRUCTURE OF THE POEM (Ao2) The structure creates a lack of breathing space because it is one verse with long complex sentences. There is also a lot of enjambment- there is even one single sentence over 6 lines. There is no clear rhyme scheme but there are half-rhymes. Half Rhyme: the consonant sounds the same but the vowels do not. The first two and last two lines have this. Iambic Pentameter- when you have stress unstress syllables. We are prepared we build our houses squat A common British thing to do (Shakespeare) The iambic pentameter could show how Britain is stamping its control over the Irish poem. “t” squat slate “r” air fear Only have it at the start + end. The poem ends as it begins- the storm is inescapable

Form THE POEM (Ao2) It is a bit like a dramatic monologue because even though it doesn’t say ‘I’ through it all, there is just one person speaking all the way through.

Seeing the poem as power of nature Speaker seems well prepared at the start but this confidence goes as the storm builds up “good slate” and “sink” makes it seem safe and secure. “k” and “f” sounds even make it sound sturdy. We are prepared: we build our houses squat, Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate. The wizened earth had never troubled us With hay, so as you can see, there are no stacks Or stooks that can be lost. Nor are there trees Which might prove company when it blows full Blast: you know what I mean - leaves and branches Can raise a chorus in a gale So that you can listen to the thing you fear Forgetting that it pummels your house too. But there are no trees, no natural shelter. You might think that the sea is company, Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs But no: when it begins, the flung spray hits The very windows, spits like a tame cat Turned savage. We just sit tight while wind dives And strafes invisibly. Space is a salvo. We are bombarded by the empty air. Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear Nature has had control over them as it has been dry and that has stopped any grass, trees or bushes from growing which could protect them. Conversational tone- without the branches they can’t hear how bad it is which is a frightening thought as it makes them less prepared. Direct address “you” to involve the reader in the storm. The sea is compared to a “savage” cat spitting. Personifying the wind diving adds to the panic that is able to crush the house.

Seeing the poem as a metaphor for the fighting (Conflict) in ireland Could the collective pronoun “we” link to how people joined together during The Troubles? No trees for company like no political allies. Nothing was agreed until 1988 on a Good Friday agreement. We are prepared: we build our houses squat, Sink walls in rock and roof them with good slate. The wizened earth had never troubled us With hay, so as you can see, there are no stacks Or stooks that can be lost. Nor are there trees Which might prove company when it blows full Blast: you know what I mean - leaves and branches Can raise a chorus in a gale So that you can listen to the thing you fear Forgetting that it pummels your house too. But there are no trees, no natural shelter. You might think that the sea is company, Exploding comfortably down on the cliffs But no: when it begins, the flung spray hits The very windows, spits like a tame cat Turned savage. We just sit tight while wind dives And strafes invisibly. Space is a salvo. We are bombarded by the empty air. Strange, it is a huge nothing that we fear Having Blast on its own is surprising just like it was for everyone during The Troubles who didn’t know when the next blast would be. The plosive “b” sound mimics the sound of an explosion. “pummels your house” the direct address in “your” could show how no one in Northern Island could escape the fighting, bullets could hit anyone’s house especially if they were protestant. Can you highlight these words that link to conflict? salvo Bombing strafe Attacking with gunfire exploding Mimics the terrorist bombings

Home Learning Due in: Wednesday 17th May 2017 Answer this question in the style of an essay please: How does Heaney present the ideas about conflict in his poem ‘Storm on the Island’ Look at structure (iambic pentameter, the enjambment) Look at language. Use quotations and make sure to state that this is a METAPHOR for conflict in Ireland.