TATS Title Author Task Summary

Storm on the Island is a poem by the Irish poet Seamus Heaney, who lived and experienced the fight for Irish freedom from the British Army. In the poem the conflict is presented as something that destroys, is unforgiving and relentless. Furthermore the poem coveys the intense anticipation of conflict that is felt by the soon to be embattled civilians. Similarly, Bayonet Charge by Ted Hughes also presents conflict as something that is relentless on humans and those experiencing it and that is unforgiving and destroys. While Storm on the Island looks at the outer effects of conflict through an exploration of the elements, Bayonet Charge deals more with the inner effects of conflict on the solider (as well as his immediate surroundings).

 

Firstly both poems portray conflict as something that destroys and is very violent. In ‘Storm on the Island’ the writer uses word choice to suggest the brutality of conflict. We are told that the elements “pummel” the house, the word choice of pummels has suggestions of unstoppable violence, of extreme force and of leaving lasting damage. This shows that the conflict causes real and severe damage to those in its path, and also the reader is shown the damage the anticipation of conflict does, as confirmed in the last line. Similarly ‘Bayonet charge’ also shows the destruction caused by war. Not only the physical destruction as shown through the word choice of “thrashed” when the poet describes the effect of the conflict on the hare (which is a symbol of the all those innocent yet affected by war). The word choice of thrashed…Also Bayonet Charge looks at ideas and beliefs being destroyed by conflict as the solider tells of: “King, honour, country” and how they were now “dropped like luxuries”. The word choice of dropped shows the quick and sudden removal of the soldiers beliefs and reasons for fighting. Both poems show physical and also emotional destruction and the destruction of beliefs is also shown in Bayonet Charge.