Poetry from

Different Cultures

Island Man
Grace Nichols
 Slide Contents
Author
Social & Historical Context
What is it About?
Structure
Language
Examination Preparation
Links
The Author
 Grace Nichols
Grace Nichols was born in Guyana in
a small village by the sea. In 1977 at
the age of twenty seven she came to
live in Britain with her partner.
She describes herself as belonging to
two cultures. Born and brought up
in the Caribbean yet living and
working most of her adult life in
England she has absorbed both ways
of life.
She says, ‘England is where I live…but
when I’m in England I’m always
looking back,’ Just like the island
man in the poem she is ‘always
looking at both worlds.’
 Social &
Historical
Context
 Between Two Worlds
This poem is about living in exile. The
Caribbean man dreams about his island home,
then slowly wakes to the reality of London
life.

Island Man explores what it is like to belong

to two different cultures. After the Second
World War thousands of people emigrated to
Britain to begin a new life. The 1948 British
Nationality Act gave British citizenship to all
people living in Commonwealth countries with
full rights of entry and settlement in Britain.
At the same time, the call went out that
Britain needed skilled men to help post-war
reconstruction.

The promise of work, better wages and an

improved standard of living persuaded
thousands of people to leave their homes
and start a new life in Britain.
 Living In Exile
In the 1950s the continuing labour
shortage following the war led the
National Health Service and London
Transport to actively recruit in the
West Indian islands. Many men and
women came, planning to find work
on their arrival.

The London boroughs of Brixton and

Notting Hill Gate became the new
home of many West Indians,
particularly people from Trinidad and
Barbados. However, housing problems
in this already poor area, coupled
with racial prejudice, meant that
many of the new arrivals found it
difficult to find somewhere decent to
live. In 1958, serious attacks on West
Indian residents by white youths
culminated in riots that shocked
public opinion. The Notting Hill
Carnival sprang from the riots as a
way of asserting community pride.
 Check Your Understanding
From what you have discovered so far try to
answer one or both of the following
questions:

1. Why would a man from the Caribbean

come to live in London? How does he feel
about life in England and why may he feel
this way?

2. What does the poem suggest about culture

and its significance?
What is it
About?
 Leaving Home
Imagine you were to leave the place where you live.
What would you miss? What would you not miss?
Record your thoughts and your reasons in a chart like
the one below:

Things I would Reasons Things I would Reasons

miss not miss
 A Postcard Home

Imagine you are the

Caribbean island man in
the poem.
Write a postcard back
home to the Caribbean
from London.
Use the images in the
poem to describe life in
London and the images
of the Caribbean to
express what you miss
about the Caribbean.
Structure
 Storyboard
Island Man is a poem of two halves just as the man in the poem finds
himself caught between two cultures. Create a storyboard and pick out
three images of life in the Caribbean and three images of life in London.
Illustrate and colour your work according to the images in the poem.

The sound of blue surf

Surge of wheels
 Sequencing
It is argued that the poem is split into six
stages. List the six stages.

•
•
•
•
•
•
 Structure
1. Which line separates the two distinct parts of
the poem?
2. What is strange about the shape of the poem?
3. Why do you think the poet has used this
specific layout?
4. How are the first three lines and the last
three lines similar yet different?
5. The line lengths and number of lines in each
verse fluctuate giving the poem a confused
feel. Explain why this is appropriate.
6. What do you notice about the poet’s use of
punctuation? Explain the reason for this.
 Structure
• Consider the pace of the poem. Look at
the first ten lines. How would you
describe the pace of the first half of the
poem?
• Now read from line 11 to the end. How
has the pace of the poem changed?
• What is Nichols trying to achieve by
altering the pace of the poem? What
does this tell us about the man’s
feelings towards his life in London?
Language
 Contrast
Read the poem then list the things that the island
man associates with each place.

Caribbean London

Wild seabirds North Circular roar

 Contrast
Look carefully at the contrasting
descriptions of the Caribbean and London.

1. What type of images describe the Caribbean?

2. What type of images describe London?
3. Which words suggest sleep or dreams?
4. Which words have double meanings. Why does Grace
Nichol use such confused images?
5. List the verbs in lines 1 to 10 then list the verbs used
in lines 11 to 19. How do the verbs contrast? Explain
why the poet has chosen such verbs.
 Imagery
Think about the words the poet uses. Copy down the chart
below. Make notes on what the poet’s words suggest to you.

The Images Notes on the images

Steady breaking and Conveys a natural rhythm like the waves
of the sea. ’Wombing’ suggests comfort,
wombing security – the place of his birth

Wild seabirds
The sun surfacing defiantly
Small emerald island
Grey metallic soar
Surge of wheels
His crumpled pillow waves
Another London Day
 Poetic Techniques
Match the technique with the correct definition.

Technique Definition

Metaphor The use of the same sound at the start of words

Alliteration A figure of speech not meant literally

Onomatopoeia the attribution of human qualities to an object

Personification A word which imitates the sound it represents

 Poetic Techniques
Think about the poetic techniques discussed on the last slide.
Copy down the chart below. Find examples in the poem and
write down the effect created.

Technique Evidence Effect

Onomatopoeia roar ‘Roar’ suggests not only the
unpleasant loud volume of the traffic
but also that the world outside the
window is a hostile, dangerous place.
Check Understanding

Using the notes you have made

so far answer this question:

Explain how Grace Nichols uses language

to show the differences between life in
the Caribbean and life in London.
Examination
Preparation
 The Examination Paper
• You will have 45 minutes to answer the
question.
• You will be asked to compare two poems.
• You should begin by annotating the question for
the key words. This will help you to understand
what you are being asked to do.

E.g. Compare ‘Island Man’ with one other

poem, to show how the poets use people to
explain the conflict that can exist between and
within different cultures.
 Planning
• Spend between 5 and 10 minutes making
a plan. This will help you to order your
essay logically.

• Make a note of any key ideas you are

going to include.

• Leave at least 5 minutes at the end to

read through your work and check for
any basic errors.
 Structure
A good answer should:

• Write in paragraphs.
• Don’t forget to P.E.E! Using a range of quotes that
are properly embedded within your answer.
• Begin with an introduction and end with a
conclusion.

The main body of the essay should follow these five

steps to make a good answer:

• Write a bit about the theme

• Compare the structures of each poem
• Compare the use of language in each poem
• Compare the feelings of the poets
• Write about how the poems make you feel.
 Making Connections
Use a series of comparisons, using connectives
to link ideas, both within paragraphs and
between paragraphs.
Similarity Connectives Contrast Connectives
• Equally • In contrast
• In the same way • However
• Similarly • Whereas (best used in
• Likewise the middle of a
• Just as…also sentence)
• On the other hand
Refer back to the question repeating the
key words from it.
 Analysis
Use the following words to link your Point -> Evidence ->
Explain sentences. The use of these words will also help to
ensure that your response is analytical.

suggests
implies
gives the impression that
shows
highlights
indicates

To make the same point using a different example, try one

of these:
furthers
emphasises
reinforces
 Recap
1. When you are comparing poems you will be
asked to look for the similarities and the
differences.
2. You should comment on the language they
use. What poetic devices are present?
Imagery, similes, metaphors, alliteration,
onomatopoeia, personification, rhyme etc.
What effect do they have on the reader?
3. You will need to comment on the structure of
the poems. How are they set out? Does this
add to their overall effect/meaning?
4. Consider the tone of the poems. What mood
has the author created?
Links
 Useful Stuff
Island man short films:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6a9U5LkTYKE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=t-lvu3tFf-A
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3W7T9kOdDV4

BBC Bitesize Poems From Other Cultures:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/e
nglish/poemscult/index.shtml
 More Useful Stuff
Annotated PPT Version of Island man
www.school-
portal.co.uk/GroupDownloadFile.asp?Grou
pID=64598&ResourceId=242867

A copy of Island Man with notes

http://kingshurst.digitalbrain.com/warda/we
b/Year%2011%20English/Island%20Man
%20-%20comments%20added.doc
 More Useful Stuff
Phil Beadle’s Master class on Island Man
as shown on Teachers.TV

http://www.teachers.tv/video/22166

(You may need to register to download)