Clarke’s poem compared to the less descriptive- though just as effective Storm on the Island are very similar in theme, as both concentrate on the seeming battle between man and nature- though the poets are in different minds on who is the most destructive. Heaney concentrates on the natural occurrences that disrupt and destruct people’s lives- but are unavoidable- whereas Clarke focuses on the destruction and consequences Humans force upon nature and the innocent. The actions which are not unavoidable and could easily be averted.
The third poem- or rather sonnet by John Clare, differs rather in theme to the previous two. A simple yet effective sonnet of nature, it does not contain the involvement of human activities in the natural cycle of nature, underlying current of war between the two or for that matter anything which reads ‘danger’ or sorrow or hurt. It is almost childlike in the innocent fairytale revival of obviously much loved memories. Nature is not shown as wild or devastated- but soft- gentle, beautiful. Life working in harmony- Mother Nature at her most bountiful.
Though it is not similar to the other poems in the war aspect, it does link with Storm on the Island in a way. Together they show that nature is not monotonous and can vary. It can for instance be the heaven Clare makes it out to be, but it can also be the hell Heaney portrays. Both poems give two different sides to nature and two contrasting opinions – which seem entirely logical. Clare loves the serenity and heaven of bountiful Mother Nature, Heaney however fears the hellish, screaming devil Mother Nature can also morph to.
The forth poem is the Eagle. Written by Alfred Tennyson in 1851, is a short metaphorical poem, which without its title, is able to trick you into thinking the eagle is an old person due to the extensive personification. So called the ‘king of birds’, Tennyson manages to enforce this idea upon us by deceiving us into believing the eagle a man- so placing a figure of power and superiority into our minds- then when realizing it to be an eagle, the idea of a figure of superiority and power stays in place, though the body changes. This effect gives an idea of the huge diversity of nature- from ants to elephant, seed to tree. Something as majestic as the eagle- as intellectual as the human. Who created them? Unlike the previous poems, this poem does not have nature overpowering the creatures. Instead the eagle itself dominates. The sea is below him, the sky is around him. He is ‘ringed’ with the world- it is as if HE is the centre of the world. The last line ‘and like a thunderbolt he falls’ makes one think of Zeus –King of the Greek Gods hurling down his thunderbolts of wrath. It is different from the other three in its theme for this matter, but similar as it too depicts the greatness of Mother Nature’s creatures.
Each of the four poems are set out in different styles and structure to add to the overall effect of the poems. Storm on the Island is mostly blank verse. Twenty lines without rhyme, but which is structured in strict iambic pentameter of 10 beats per line. This produces an almost methodical and solemn rhythm to the poem which adds to the seriousness of the situation the Island dwellers find themselves in, for if they did not devise methods of protecting themselves from Natures fury, it could be fatal to them.
The poem which you could compare Storm on the Island to, is the Eagle as both use iambic pentameter to produce a steady beat which adds emphasis to every other word- so by capturing your attention. In the Eagle this is particularly attention grabbing with the use of alliteration to strengthen the beat:
‘He clasps the crag with crooked hands.’
Tennyson also uses rhyming triplets to add emphasis- using the power of three to make his short poem more memorable and again emphasized. Though Heaney does not have rhyming triplets, the iambic pentameter is used to create the emphasis on every other word- re-enforcing the military kind of warfare commencing within his poem of man and nature.
The structure of John Clare’s Sonnet is as its name implies- a fourteen line verse each with ten syllables and rhyming couplets which emphasize the childlike perception of nature- as young children are fixated in writing poems which rhyme I know I did not believe a piece of writing was a poem unless it was rhyming. I remember thinking that the definition of a poem was a versed rhyming- cat sat on mat type piece. It adds to the youthful innocence and charms the reader. It does not particularly have any similarities with The Eagle and Storm on the Island and though does have 10 syllables on every line, the way in which the poem is devised and written makes it impossible to really emphasize this beat- if beat you can call it. Its is a un serious, un meaning poem of the love Clare has for nature which sets it aside from the other three- more so thought provoking and complex verses. Clare’s is simple and sweet. The combination of innocent images and a simple flowing style causes the reader to think to their own images of the countryside and brings about a feeling of wistfulness. Due to the lack of obvious beat within the poem, a sense of daydreaming appears- thousands of soothing images crowding in your brain. This seems to be rather what the poem is- simply favorite images of nature jotted down in any order by the poet.
This idea fits in with the evidence that John Clare was mentally unstable and so was kept for the greater part of his life in an asylum- prisoned, and so the idea of freedom would have been great. His love for the country side would have been increased also by his separation from it, so these memories would have been very dear and would most likely have been the ones to first appear while day dreaming.
The field mouse however differs. Gillian Clarke sectioned the poem into three stanzas - beginning, middle and end. The first stanza introduces the separate scenes of haymaking and war and compares the two. Though haymaking initially is thought of to be a peaceful and naturalistic event, Clarke manages to turn usually innocent images into deadly, warlike scenes. E.g. summer, the long grass is a snare drum.
When the idea of summer is presented, we generally perceive a warm, happy peaceful time- as with long grass, we think naturalistic scenes. Long grass is home to plenty of creatures- snakes, rabbits, pheasants, mice etc. As it is home to many creatures and it is therefore considered a safe haven for them. However, Clarke dispels this idea and instead of having it safe, has it a ‘snare drum’. Snare- entrapping, harsh- warlike. Drum conjures up the idea of marching to war- the drums in the background providing the solemn funeral like march.
The 2nd stanza introduces the mouse injured by their hay making- caught in the tractors blade. An innocent creature killed because of humans. Due to the underlying images and hints of war in the previous stanza, our minds are tuned to this idea of war destroying the innocent, so when given a mouse killed by humans, we think of the innocent civilians who are caught in the crossfire of the war in Europe who have nothing to do with the conflict but ironically due to being neutral are hurt. The third stanza portrays the consequences of our actions upon nature—
Before the day’s gone, the field lies bleeding,
The dusk garden inhabited by the saved, voles, frogs, a nest of mice.
It disconcertingly again tunes our minds to human war- the refugees fleeing their homes to escape death or injury. The destruction and woe that war brings- the field lies bleeding- And again our poisonous actions on nature.
The poem is highly metaphorical- using combinations of varied linguistic devices to achieve its end ambition of procuring a sense of guilt and remorse in the reader. Metaphors and personification (e.g. the field lies bleeding) are used with great skill- blending two similar stories into one. By using a simple field mouse injured by a harvester in summer to represent innocent civilians casualties caused by caught in the cross fire of a war they play no part in, she evokes feelings of pity and shame inside the reader which then also transfers on to the civilians. She also produces scenes of natural innocence and transforms them into images desecrated by human hands (e.g. ‘a child running through killed flowers’ and the death of the mouse) to embed her point of our contamination and cruelty upon nature and its creations. Her choice of language is also highly emotive and the feelings of shame and guilt rest largely upon her language.
Summing up my essay so far, I believe that there two main points of view of nature when comparing the four poems together- which separates the poems back into pre 1914 and post 1914.
Perhaps this is merely a coincidence, but I received the impression, that the two pre 1914 poems were much more idyllic nature wise and were more centered upon the beauty and creations, whereas the other two struck me to be more about human interference with nature and the affect nature has on human lives.
I sensed this difference also when looking at the structure of them. Pre has much more simple though direct meanings which are of nature alone- purity and greatness. Post holds underlying issues or war, destruction and suffering- either because of nature’s forces or because of man’s actions. Heaney’s and Clarke’s poems also have an abundance of hidden meaning within the poems which both look at the ‘battle’ between nature and man. Unlike the simple easy to understand meanings within the other two, Storm on the Island and the Field Mouse are much more complex and needs to be thought about to grasp the meaning rather then just read through. The two are both full of injury, fighting and war. Compared with the heavenly picturesque portrayal of nature in The Sonnet and the majesty and greatness of it also in The Eagle, they seem rather grim outlooks on life.
This is almost definitely due to the huge world wars of 1914 onwards which took place and the after shocks which followed. Though this is only a guess, it would explain the rather sudden change on the outlook of our lives and nature. Millions of people had died suffered and had had their homes destroyed- creating misery, devastation and thousands of refugees. Storm on the Island even has some likeness to the Blitz. Having to build improved safer shelters to protect themselves from the bombardment and rage of the storm reminds us rather of people having to build air raid shelters and take refuge in the underground to protect themselves from the deadly bombings in world war two.
The innocence of the way humans had viewed the world and nature pre 1914 seems to have gone and instead we see the wrong in the world not just the right and the goodness of it as portrayed in the Sonnet and Eagle. Nature is first presented as great- amazing, beautiful- awe inspiring but then a catastrophe occurs and our sight is tinted to see nature as the tyranny, the barbarian- but then also the oppressed and the meek. Put them all together and nature suddenly from just 4 points of view collaborated, is everything- great- but vulnerable, demonic but beautiful, the monster but also the peace bringer. Nature is presented as everything- from the regal eagle to the smallest mouse to the storm- to the sun.
We cannot live with nature, but we cannot live without it either.