New
New
Year 10
AQA

Understanding the poem 'Storm on the Island'

I can explain how Heaney presents the power of nature and ‘The Troubles’ of Northern Ireland in ‘Storm on the Island’.

New
New
Year 10
AQA

Understanding the poem 'Storm on the Island'

I can explain how Heaney presents the power of nature and ‘The Troubles’ of Northern Ireland in ‘Storm on the Island’.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. ‘Storm on the Island’ can be read as a poem about the power of nature on the Aran Islands.
  2. Heaney may have been influenced by the conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.
  3. ‘Storm on the Island’ was published in 1996, when the IRA were carrying out military operations in Northern Ireland.
  4. The storm can be read as an extended metaphor for ‘The Troubles’.
  5. 'The Troubles' refers to a violent thirty-year civil conflict in Ireland which led to around 3,500 deaths.

Common misconception

There is only one interpretation of the poem 'Storm on the Island'.

The poem can be a reflection of the power of nature, conflict between humans and nature, the political conflict or all.

Keywords

  • Extended Metaphor - a metaphor that extends over the course of several lines

  • Civil - relating to citizens of the same country

  • Unrest - a state of disturbance, involving public disorder

Consider using videos or other resources to contextualise 'The Troubles' for students if they have no prior knowledge of this historical event.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need a copy of the AQA Power & Conflict Poetry Anthology for GCSE.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is an extended metaphor?
a comparison between two things using 'like' or 'as'
a direct comparison between two things
Correct answer: a direct comparison between two things which goes across multiple lines
Q2.
is information which allows us to understand the social, historical or cultural background of a text.
Correct Answer: context, contextual information
Q3.
What is sibilance?
the repetition of a vowel sound at the start of closely connected words
the repetition of a consonant sound at the start of closely connected words
Correct answer: the repetition of the 's' sound at the start of closely connected words
Q4.
What might be the definition of a civil war?
a war between two countries
Correct answer: a war between two groups of people in the same country
a war between multiple countries
Q5.
A is a group of words closely related in meaning.
Correct Answer: semantic field
Q6.
What connotations might we have of the word 'island'?
Correct answer: isolated
Correct answer: remote
connected
Correct answer: small

6 Questions

Q1.
How does Heaney present nature in 'Storm on the Island'?
as nurturing
Correct answer: as brutal
as comforting
Q2.
The conflict between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland between the 1960s-1998 was known as...
'The Problems'
Correct answer: 'The Troubles'
'The Civil Unrest'
Q3.
Which two interpretations are most commonly explored in relation to 'Storm on the 'Island'?
Correct answer: the poem is a reflection of the power of nature
the poem reflects the destruction of nature on the island
Correct answer: the poem can be seen as a reflection of the conflict in Norther Ireland
Q4.
What might the pronoun "we" used in 'Storm on the Island' suggest about the poem?
Correct answer: suggests a sense of community
suggests a sense of detachment
suggests a sense of upheaval
Q5.
The ‘Storm’ in the title 'Storm on the Island' can be read as…
a metaphor for a natural disaster Ireland had faced
Correct answer: a metaphor the political storm that raged in Northern Ireland
A metaphor for Heaney’s familial conflict in the 1960s
Q6.
In 'Storm on the Island', Heaney uses a semantic field of __________ to describe nature in the poem.
Correct answer: war
fear
safety

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