Storm on the Island Fear Quotes

This preparation might come across as confidence, but they are preparing for something—and quite possibly something worth fearing.

The wind sounds like ghosts howling; that's pretty scary. This storm is nothing to mess with. Heaney's playing with personification here. The storm seems even more frightening when it's animated by human characteristics.

They're admitting to fearing the fierce wind, especially as it assaults their homes. If this were The Three Little Pigs, the wind would be the Big Bad Wolf. Here the fear isn't necessarily specific to the poem, either. If you look closely at line 9 on its own, Heaney is dragging readers in, too, for an opportunity to examine our deepest, darkest fears. Um, thanks, we guess?

There's nowhere to hide. That's scary in itself: the storm can attack them without anything getting in the way. This is the second time Heaney's mentioned the lack of trees. Is this nervous repetition on behalf of the speaker, perhaps? The only protection these people have is their homes—here's hoping they're as "prepared" as they say they are in line 1.

Ever been inches from a wild cat as it spits and hisses at you? Us either, but think of just having to sit there and take it while sea spray spits at you like a wild animal. You might feel kind of helpless and afraid. These lines are even scarier because of how they're broken. At first it's all good in line 16—who cares about a little kitty cat spit?—but line 16 packs the punch. That break delays our fear response. It's like knowing the bad guy is going to pop out at you, but not being sure when.

Again, they just have to sit there while they feel as though they're being bombed by the wind. Heaney compares the storm to artillery fire. It's like being caught in a war with no weaponry to defend yourself. And check out what Heaney's doing with sibilance in line 17. All of those S sounds are practically like hissing—it makes us feel like we're being assaulted by the whizzing (figurative) artillery, and brings to mind that nasty, spitting ocean.

Heaney ends the poem on a blatant admission of fear. While the wind is "a huge nothing," it makes a big impact and can cause plenty of damage. We've got to admit, these people are afraid for a reason. This line on its own gives us an opportunity to examine our own fears, too (just like in line 9). So, while we end the poem feeling for the people in the storm and why they're afraid, we're doubly affected because now we're thinking of whatever "huge nothing" in our personal lives that we fear, too. Thanks for bringing that to the fore, Heaney. We were hoping to save those fears for therapy.