Storm on the Island Isolation Quotes

You know you're desperate for a little company when you skip over wishing for a (human) friend and go right to trees. We're not sure if it's the storm or if this is just the norm for these people, but they seem pretty lonely at the moment.

In case you didn't get the memo six lines back, there are no trees for company. We're going to assume Heaney didn't just accidentally repeat this. The repetition serves to reinforce the feeling of isolation and vulnerability—like, "We really really want trees, so we keep thinking about them, but they're not here. Still."

Now the speaker is wishing the sea would be company. This is getting as sad as the new kid sitting at the lunch table all by herself. The enjambed break at line 13 is a seriously harsh zing, in fact. Line 13 on its own sounds almost peaceful and welcoming, but then when you get to line 14 there's a "sike!" moment.

For a second there in line 15, we think this person might be thinking a semi-pleasant thought about a housecat. Then in the next line we find out this little kitty has turned savage. That wouldn't be good company, either. It seems like everything around the speaker is completely inhospitable, making the feeling of isolation all the more intense.

It looks like there's nothing for these people to do but sit all alone in their homes while the wind bombards them. This storm is making them super-isolated because they're prisoners in their houses, at least until it passes.