The Islands [Charles Brasch]

(1)Always, in these islands, meeting and parting

(2)Shake us making tremulous the salt-rimmed air;

(3)Divided and perplexed the sea is waiting

(4)Birds and fishes visit us and disappear.

(5)The future and the past stand at our doors ,

(6)Beggars who for one look of trust will open

(7)Worlds that can answer our unknown desires ,

(8)Entering us like rain and sun to ripen

(9)Remindingly beside the quays,the white

(10)Ships lie smoking; and from their haunted bay

(11)The godwits vanish towards another summer:

(12)Everywhere in light and calm murmuring

(13)Shadow of departure; distance looks our way;

(14)And no one knows where he will lie down at night.

1. The setting is in the islands as the poem is called “The Islands”.  In the 1920-30
2. This poem is written in First Person  as in the 2nd line it says shake us so thats meaning themself and someone else
3. This poem is pretty formal .
4. There is no colloquial language or slang throughout the poem. This is the reason it is a formal poem.
5. Language features: “Distance looks our way” is personification, “the future and the past stand at our doors” is another example of personification,