Island man

1
Island man

• Grace Nichols

2
Grace Nichols

• Grace Nichols was born in Guyana in 1950.
• She was a journalist and a teacher in the
  Caribbean until she moved to Britain in 1977.

3
Island Man

• (for a Caribbean island man in London who still
  wakes up to the sound of the sea)
• Morning
• and island man wakes up
• To the sound or the blue surf
• In his head
• The steady breaking and wombing

4
Island Man
Explains about the poem. Very unusual for a poem.
The title suggests Hes alone. Also no name, the
Island defines him

• (for a Caribbean island man in London who still
  wakes up to the sound of the sea)
• Morning
• and island man wakes up
• To the sound or the blue surf
• In his head
• The steady breaking and wombing

The shortness of the opening Line suggests hes
jolted awake
Compare this with the grey London
Wombing suggests the comfort and Security of
his place of birth
5
Island man

• Wild seabirds
• And fishermen pushing out to sea
• The sun surfacing defiantly
• From the east
• Of his small emerald island
• He always comes back groggily groggily

6
The descriptions of his home make it sound like
paradise contrasting sharply with the
dreariness of London
Contrast of nature with metallic London (line
14)

• Wild seabirds
• And fishermen pushing out to sea
• The sun surfacing defiantly
• From the east
• Of his small emerald island
• He always comes back groggily groggily

Could mean sleepily or he might have been
drinking the night before to forget
Separate from the others to Show he is coming
back to reality
7

• Comes back to sands
• Of a grey metallic soar
• to surge of wheels
• To dull North Circular roar

8
Meant to be sounds but he is still tired and
thinking of the beach

• Comes back to sands
• Of a grey metallic soar
• to surge of wheels
• To dull North Circular roar

Odd placing of this line is like the mans
confused thoughts as he wakes hes not quite
sure where he is yet
These words can all be applied either to the sea
of the Caribbean, or the traffic of London
9

• muffling muffling
• his crumpled pillow waves
• island man heaves himself
• Another London day

10

• muffling muffling
• his crumpled pillow waves
• island man heaves himself
• Another London day