1. Island Man
Grace Nichols

2. 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?

3. 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?

4. 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?

5. 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?

6. 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?

7. 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?