Island Man - Grace Nichols

Extension - prolongs the feeling of longing

Sibilance - reminiscent of the sea

Vivid imagery

Drops the reader in a relaxing environment (positive - contrasts latter half)

Warm opening - water makes him feel safe/secure

“blue”

Morning/ and island man wakes up/ to the sound of blue surf

Sea imagery (semantic field) - conotes freedom, at ease

Stanza focuses on visual/descriptive imagery

wild seabirds […] fishermen […] sea

Personification - sun is persistent/resilient - bright atmosphere - brings consistent joy - idyllic nature of the island

Ameliorating island

the sun surfacing defiantly/ from the east/ of his small emerald island

Daze like state - doesn’t want to wake up to his dull reality

Mood of the poem changes to peaceful to more depressing and realistic

Monotonous

He always comes back/ groggily groggily

Colour imagery - contrasts between London and the sands of the tropical islands

Visualise how the man is in the heart of the city (yet still feels a sense of displacement)

Rhyme - auditory imagery - harsh sounds (cacophony) contrasts the sweet sibilance used when describing the island

less desirable/vivid/bright imagery

Comes back to sand/ of a grey metallic soar/ to surge of wheels/ to dull north circular roar

Waves mimic the real waves of the island (strengthens longing tone - harsh fall back into reality)

No end-stop - emphasises cyclical nature of routine

Negative and unsettling ending with no concrete resolution (acceptance that this is his life)

“heaves” - forcing himself to continue - struggling to adjust

his crumpled pillow waves/ island man heaves himself/ Another London day