Island Man-Poetry Analysis

The bond between an individual and their homeland is always strong even though they may be distant from each other. Grace Nichols’ poem ‘Island Man’ conveys this relationship. The poem emphasises on the immigrant experience, the contrast between the two environments, and the past and the present. This poem highlights the split in identity that immigrants feel.
An individual may leave their homeland, but it will always remain within them. In the poem ‘Island Man’, the island man fells nostalgic as he “wakes up to the sound of the sea in his head” daily, here the use of sound imagery suggests that he still continues to hear his island home in his dreams, even though he is far from it. This emphasises that no matter where an individual lives, they can never forget their traditional culture.
There is a wide gap between city and island life. In the poem, there is contrast between the “small emerald island” and the “sands of grey metallic soar” in London. Here the use of a metaphor suggests that the island is as precious as emerald, it may also suggest that the island is green in colour as emerald is green through the use of colour imagery. London is described as being ‘grey’, there the use of symbolism connotes boredom, sadness and loneliness, this emphasises on the fact that the island man does not want to be in the London environment. This depicts the wide gaps between island and city life and how it affects an individual’s culture.
The relationship between an individual and their homeland is shaped by their past experiences. In the poem the “Caribbean island man in London who still wakes up to the sound of the sea” shows this link between himself and his homeland through the use of sibilance and sound imagery, which depicts the sound of the sea. Therefore, past experiences play a great role in shaping an individual’s identity and culture.
To conclude, an individual’s culture and identity heavily depends on past experiences of their homeland, and it is these