Storm on the Island

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The poets, who wrote the four poems in question, all put forward their personal views upon the aspect(s) of nature which their pieces are themed around. In Seamus Heaney’s poem, ‘Storm on the Island’, the theme is implied simply in the title. Heaney’s poem explores the effects a storm has upon island dwellers where there is no natural shelter. He relates how weak and defenceless we humans are compared to these natural happenings. The way in which we are forced to shelter and protect ourselves from this ‘nothing’ which has the power and might to change everything in our lives. The unmistakable sense of people’s fear of nature’s fury is shown throughout the poem. Human and Nature seem to be at war with each other- nature versus man- with Nature the dominant adversary but humans still grimly hanging on. The two sides almost appear to be at a ‘stalemate’. For try as it might, the storm has not beaten man- and man can only find means to protect himself- being too weak to retaliate. Heaney presents the storm as an unwanted and vicious foe but does recognize Nature’s absolute and unrivalled power. Nature is shown to be brutal, strong and overpowering- without mercy to the island dwellers.

  The other post 1914 poem- ‘The Field Mouse’ by Gillian Clarke, presents a view which totally opposes Heaney’s idea of Nature dominating over man and man being the victim. In fact it completely reverses the idea and has instead man being the one at fault, and shows Nature’s innocent beings (e.g. the field mouse) as the ones who suffer because of our stupidity and greed. It portrays how the innocence of the vulnerable is shattered by stronger forces through the story of a field mouse fatally injured by a harvester. She presents humans as the tyranny- the plague of nature- destroyers of lives, beauty and innocence through our greed, arrogance and selfish ignorance to the people and things around us- nature as the wronged- the helpless- the meek.

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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.

Each of the four poems are set out in different styles and structure to ...

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