Island Man

The title

It is very vague and anonymous

giving it a general and shared experience

giving a beach and exotic atmosphere

Themes and poetic voice

• Theme of displacement - Facing a harsh environment of london and unwillingly drawn back from his imagination where he doesn’t belong

• disconnect between body and mind

• Poetic voice - wistful and reflective

• dream shows theme of memory and nostalgia

• the shift from island to london reflects the man’s alienation from his country to new surroundings

• “heaving himself“ - shows emotional and physical exclusion to adapting a new life

Form and Structure

• There is a use of half-rhyme to show that its not real and its in the head

• The lack of structure mirrors the fragmented of the speaker’s thoughts as he moves between his memories of the island and his current reality.

• The poem is written in free verse with no consistant rhyme scheme. This could shoe the fragmentation of the speakers thoughts and his current reality

• The poem is divided into 2 parts. The first half is showing,describing the island and the beauty in it. The second half is the reality, disorienting atmosphere of london. The shift shows the contrast and sense of dislocation.

• Half rhyme shows it imaginary and not the reality

• The repetition of the word “groggily“ shows the speakers lethargy and reluctance to return to present state of london. It shows the difficulty of adjusting to harsh environment.

Language and imagery

• The use of imagery to show the island and sibilance to make the place sound soft and peaceful.

• It is heterodigetic

• the 1st stanza is calm,natural beauty and shows a safe,homely place. A place of strength and the 2nd stanza shifts to description of reality of london

• “Grey metallic soar“ - industrial environment with noise and movement

• “Dull circular roar“ - Jarring,relentless,mechanical nature

• “Muffling this shows suffocation due to noise and struggling to hear him self over the chaos“

• “Crumpled pillow of waves“ - Shows man’s longing for the peacefulness of the island and metaphor shows his own exhausion,

• “Small emerald island“ shows how precious and safe it is

Context

Island man is based on grace experience as a recent immigrant living in london. Wider immigrant experience and difficulties in adjusting to life in city

Themes alienation and identity i what she focused on

second poetry collection - the fat black womans poems. She moved to live in UK in 1977 show this could show her own experience as well.