A Comparison of Storm on the Island by Seamus Heaney and Patrolling Barnegat by Walt Whitman
‘Storm on the Island’ by Seamus Heaney and ‘Patrolling Barnegat’ by
Walt Whitman are similar in a number of ways however, there are also
strong contrasts. Possibly the most apparent comparison is the subject
matter. Both poems are written from a personal viewpoint about a
storm. Heaney describes the storm from inside a building for which he
is prepared for, “We build our houses squat” The impression is given
that the storm according to Heaney is not a rare occurrence and that
he is writing about many similar storms. The title uses no article and
writes in the present tense. Whitman however, speaks as if he is in
fact within the storm, almost participating. The reader becomes aware
of this as Whitman poses questions “is that a wreck?” readers can then
understand that the poet is experiencing the incident he is
describing.
Heaney and Whitman both associate the storm with military terms. The
title ‘Patrolling Barnegat’ is self-explanatory; leading the reader to
believe the poem is about a military exercise. This could be
considered as a strange choice of title for a poem about such a wild,
frantic experience – quite unlike a military operation. ‘Storm on the
Island’ unconsciously links the storm to a war by using words
indirectly related like “bombarded.”
‘Patrolling Barnegat’ is a sonnet – a poem of 14 lines, usually
associated with love. It is therefore strange that Whitman uses this
form of poem when depicting an experience so intense and wild, perhaps
this is his perception of love. The lack of rhyming couplets and use
of half rhymes at the end of each line “running/muttering/pealing”
encourages the reader to feel blown along – much like a storm itself.
Dissimilarly, ‘Storm on the Island’ is free verse and has no rhyme or
rhythm. It uses enjambment “spits like a tame cat/Turned savage” and
reads continuously somewhat like a story or a conversation. The idea
that Seamus Heaney is actually speaking to his audience is reinforced
Faulkner, William. "Barn Burning." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter. 3th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. 1554-66.
Kate Chopin and T. Coraghessan Boyle made excellent use of the elements point of view, character, and setting in their short stories “The Storm” and “Greasy Lake”. Kate Chopin’s characters and events follow the setting—the storm. This greatly enhances her work. Boyle’s characters mirror his setting as well—a greasy lake. It is amazing how much greater depth and deeper the insight is for a story when the potentials of elements of writing are fulfilled and utilized.
In Seamus Heaney’s poetry, there is a recurring theme of his talking of the past, and more predominantly about significant moments in time, where he came to realisations that brought him to adulthood. In “Death of a Naturalist” Heaney describes a moment in his childhood where he learnt that nature was not as beautiful as seem to be when he was just a naive child. Heaney does this on a deeper level in “Midterm Break” describes his experience of his younger brothers funeral and the mixed, confusing feelings he encountered, consequently learning that he no longer was a child, and had no choice but to be exposed to reality. Robert Frost in one sense also describes particular moments in time, where his narrator comes to realisations. However, Frost writes more indirectly than Heaney, and all together more metaphorically. In “A Leaf Treader” he symbolically talks about life and death through the autumn season. He does the same, in “The Road Not Taken” where the two roads are described to be a metaphor for the decisions one makes in life, and the inevitable regrets we face due to those decisions. In “Stopping by a Woods on a Snowy Evening” Frost directly talks directly of a moment in time, however the significant meaning being that in life one needs a moment of solace to appreciate peace and beauty.
Greenblatt, Stephen, and M. H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. Vol. A. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print
over by a car. The main part of the poem is set in the family home,
Richard Brautigan’s short fiction stories incorporate protagonists that are recognizably fictionalized versions of the author himself. He writes in order to extract his own struggles of the past and the difficulties of discovering himself in the present. Through the characters in The Weather in San Francisco and Corporal, the portrayal of his optimistic view of life as a consequence of the rigors of daily life, and the use of symbols, Brautigan presents his personal story through the words on the paper.
Chopin, Kate. “The Storm.” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. DiYanni Robert. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1986. 477-481. Print.
Lauter, Paul. The Heath anthology of American literature. 6th ed. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub. Co., 2009. Print.
What elements are needed to create a good short story? As John Dufrense quoted "A good story has a visionary quality, a personal voice, a signature gesture(1969). The elements used should be used so strongly that it pulls you in; forcing you to connect to the people in the story. Not every story is written well enough to be capable of doing this. This also creates a connection with the reader; leaving some type of effect or impacting the reader along with the characters’ lives. Although there are many elements in writing but one of the greatest things of writing is the ability to make the reader empathize with the characters. This goes beyond than just a connection with the characters; when the reader is able to apprehend with the characters he or she is truly relating and reaching out to them. The author has accomplished something truly special when the reader has the ability to feel the agony that a character is feeling.
Belasco, Susan, and Linck Johnson, eds. The Bedford Anthology of American Literature. Vol. 1, 2nd Ed., Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014. 1190-1203. Print.
Harmon, William, and C. Hugh Holman. Handbook to Literature. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1986.
I feel I was more engaged in the reading of it than I was in the
Baym, Franklin, Gottesman, Holland, et al., eds. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 4th ed. New York: Norton, 1994.
Baym, Nina et al. Ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter 8th ed. New York:
In “On the Beach at Night Alone,” Walt Whitman develops the idea that everyone has a connection with everything else, including nature. Whitman uses a variety of writing techniques to get his point across. First, the repetition and parallel structure that his poems contain reinforce the connection between everything in nature. The usage of “All” 11 times emphasizes the inclusion of everything in the universe. The sentence structure remains the same throughout the poem, without any drastic change; however, the length of the lines in the poem vary. In addition, Whitman’s’ extravagance with his words further illustrates his idea of the Over-Soul. For example, “A vast similitude interlocks all” (4) shows his verbose nature. Whitman does not do directly to the point, but gives every little detail. Most importantly, Whitman’s’ use of catalogues stands as the most recognizable Whitman characteristic that illustrates his beliefs. These long lists that he uses set the mood of the poem. “All spheres, grown, ungrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets,” (5) shows the idea that everything is connected in nature. Similarly, “All nations, colors, barbarisms, civilizations languages.” (10) furthermore emphasize Whitman’s belief in the Over-Soul.