The poem “Island man” is about a Caribbean island man who now lives in London. He dreams about being back on the island and listening to those familiar sounds he had got so used to.

“Island man” has a kind of dreamy, wistful tone to it as it describes island man’s dream.

Nichols uses many poetic devices in the poem “Island man”. One is alliteration:

“sun surfacing”Nichols creates a hopeful effect by adding to the

tone and rhythm of the poem as it helps describe the dreamy words of island man. The word “surfacing” suggests that the author has used it to show that island man is trying to keep his hopes up for as long as possible.

Another poetic device that Nichols uses is stanza:“Morning and island man wakes up to the sound of the blue surfin his head”Nichols creates an effect of the tide and waves

coming in and out by ending the line in a different place each time. This also helps you create an image in your head-imagery.

The third device that Nichols uses is imagery:“wild seabirdsAnd fisherman pulling out to sea”The effect that Nichols creates is one that

describes all of the five senses. You can hear the birds screeching, smell the salt of the sea in the air, almost touch the sea against your fingers, taste fish and chips as your mouth waters and see the birds mid-flight above your head.

Compared to the poem “Slough"," Island man” creates a pleasant, beautiful picture in your head throughout most of the poem whereas “Slough” creates a dull, ramshackle and rundown impression:

“small emerald island” – “Island man”“In various bogus-Tudor bars”