The Poem Is About a Storm on an Island

The title is blunt and explicit. The poem is about a storm on an island. This creates an impression, that Heaney is not writing about one storm in particular, but about many similar storms. It is an experience the islanders are used to. The poem itself is written in present tense, this creates a sense of drama that also reinforces that idea of storms being something quite ordinary on the island, generating a mellow and soothing tone.

There is a robust, confident tone in the opening line of the poem "We are prepared" suggests that the islanders are certainly ready to face a storm but their practices have clearly come about as a result of experience. The landscape of the island presented in the poem is bleak and exposed to the elements. The opening word "we" suggests a collective, cultural voice of solidarity; a community facing a common enemy that is the unpredictable weather.

He adopts a somewhat casual and conversational voice in certain lines such as "you know what I mean" (in line 7), and "You might think" in line 12 trying to establish a connection with the audience. It also personally engages us as readers, as Heaney attempts to relate it to our own lives.

Despite the confident start, by the end of the poem Heaney admits being afraid: "it is a huge nothing that we fear" (line 19). This suggests that the ultimate power of the storm is that it is an unknown quantity. No one knows what the wind will do and what each storm will bring. This creates a contrast in tone, thus making the poem much more intense and captivating.