In The Émigrée, Carol Rumens explores the emotional impact of exile, suggesting that memory and identity are shaped by idealised perceptions of a lost homeland. Similarly, in Storm on the Island, Seamus Heaney presents how individuals respond psychologically to overwhelming external forces, though in this case it is nature rather than political conflict. Rumens, a British poet influenced by global displacement, writes from the imagined perspective of someone forced to flee their country. The speaker recalls, “There once was a country… I left it as a child,” where the ellipsis symbolises both fading memory and a sense of loss. The repetition of “sunlight” throughout — even as the speaker admits the country was “sick with tyrants” — reflects how memory is idealised, suggesting that emotional attachment can override harsh realities. The metaphor “I am branded by an impression of sunlight” shows how the speaker is permanently marked by her past, with “branded” implying both pain and permanence. This conflict between reality and memory reveals how exile creates a fractured identity. In contrast, Heaney’s Storm on the Island reflects how nature, like political turmoil, can instil fear and instability. Written during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the poem captures how external forces (whether political or natural) can psychologically overwhelm people. The confident tone at the start — “We are prepared: we build our houses squat” — uses dramatic monologue and caesura to show a moment of control. However, this quickly breaks down as the poem ends with the oxymoron “huge nothing,” a phrase which reflects the paradox of fearing something intangible, such as the wind. Like Rumens’ speaker, Heaney’s community is under threat — but rather than turning to memory for comfort, they are left isolated and exposed. Both poems explore the psychological effects of conflict — Rumens focuses on internal exile and memory, while Heaney presents fear in the face of natural violence. While Rumens suggests memory offers emotional survival, Heaney implies that nature cannot be reasoned with or controlled. Ultimately, both poems highlight human vulnerability in different but equally powerful ways.