Storm on the Island by Seamus Heaney & Bayonet Charge by Ted Hughes
Storm on the Island starts confidently - "We are prepared" - but gradually reveals how powerless humans are against natural forces. Heaney uses oxymorons like "exploding comfortably" to show nature's unpredictable violence, while the metaphor of a "tame cat turned savage" perfectly captures how quickly safety becomes danger.
Bayonet Charge drops you straight into a soldier's terrified mind during battle. Hughes uses enjambment to mirror the soldier's panic and confusion. The powerful image of a hare thrown up by gunfire, "its mouth wide / Open silent," shows how war destroys innocent life.
Both poems show humans overwhelmed by forces beyond their control - whether natural or man-made. The soldier in Bayonet Charge abandons all noble ideals "King,honour,humandignity,etcetera/Droppedlikeluxuries" just to survive.
Key Point: Notice how both poems use sudden shifts in tone - Storm moves from confidence to fear, while Bayonet Charge moves from confusion to desperate survival instinct.