Symbol Analysis
This storm isn't these islanders' first rodeo. The people in this poem seem to have been dealing with this for some time. They build their houses in preparation for these vicious storms with heavy-duty materials like rock, and then sit back and wait for Mother Nature to unleash her fury. Heaney offers us two takes on the idea of "weathering the storm" in this poem: 1) the people in the poem have developed a sense of readiness or preparedness, and 2) that really doesn't seem to help them all that much. They're basically bracing and hoping this storm doesn't take out their house, because, well, what else are they going to do? You don't mess with Mother Nature.
- Lines 1-2: They went to Home Depot and got all they could to make a strong house that would be able to withstand a wild storm. Fortifying your house with a rock foundation and rock roof might seem like overkill, but once you get a sense of the storm's strength, it makes perfect sense. They are trying to prepare as best they can for what Mother Nature dishes out at them.
- Line 16: After all the preparation is done, there isn't much more to do but brace and hope the storm doesn't take you out. Now might be a good time for the island's residents to learn a good board game (or twelve) to distract them from the onslaught of the storm.
- Line 18: Empty air might not sound like much of a threat, but when that "empty air" is wind and it's moving at top speed, it's pretty terrifying. The residents are hunkered down in their houses, crossing their fingers that the storm will pass without doing any serious harm. At the same time, they're struck by the realization that the threat posed by Mother Nature is all around them. At any time, even something like empty air can pose a threat. Eek.