essay on island man

Island Man Summary & Analysis by Grace Nichols

• Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis
• Poetic Devices
• Vocabulary & References
• Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme
• Line-by-Line Explanations

“Island Man” was written by the poet Grace Nichols, who was born in Guyana but moved to England in 1977. Like Nichols, the man in the poem is an immigrant from the Caribbean. Each night, he dreams of his home in the West Indies, only to “come[] back” each morning to the harsh reality of his London surroundings. The poem expresses the homesickness immigrants can feel in a new country, while also suggesting that many immigrants keep their home alive within themselves and thus never truly leave it behind. Nichols first published “Island Man” in her 1984 collection, The Fat Black Woman’s Poems .

• Read the full text of “Island Man”

The Full Text of “Island Man”

“island man” summary, “island man” themes.

Immigration, Homesickness, and Identity

Line-by-line explanation & analysis of “island man”, before line 1.

(for a Caribbean ... of the sea)

Morning ... ... breaking and wombing

wild seabirds ... ... small emerald island

Lines 11-13

he always comes ... ... grey metallic soar

Lines 14-15

                                            to surge of ... ... North Circular roar

Lines 16-17

muffling muffling ... ... crumpled pillow waves

Lines 18-19

island man heaves ... ... Another London day

“Island Man” Symbols

• Before Line 1: “for a Caribbean island man in London”
• Line 2: “island man wakes up”
• Line 10: “his small emerald island”

• Line 10: “of his small emerald island”

Green and Gray

• Line 13: “a grey metallic soar”

“Island Man” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Line 3: “the sound of blue surf”
• Lines 6-10: “wild seabirds / and fishermen pushing out to sea / the sun surfacing defiantly / from the east / of his small emerald island”
• Lines 12-13: “sands / of a grey metallic soar”
• Line 14: “surge of wheels”
• Line 15: “dull North Circular roar”
• Line 17: “crumpled pillow waves”

Juxtaposition

• Lines 11-19
• Line 5: “the steady breaking and wombing”
• Line 12: “to sands”
• Line 14: “to surge of wheels”
• Line 15: “to dull North Circular roar”
• Line 2: “island man”
• Line 11: “comes back,” “groggily groggily”
• Line 12: “Comes back”
• Line 16: “muffling muffling”
• Line 18: “island man”

Personification

• Line 8: “the sun surfacing defiantly”
• Line 4: “head”
• Line 5: “steady”
• Line 7: “sea”
• Line 8: “defiantly”
• Line 9: “east”
• Line 13: “soar”
• Line 15: “North,” “roar”
• Line 17: “crumpled,” “waves”
• Line 19: “day”

Alliteration

• Line 3: “sound,” “blue,” “surf”
• Line 5: “steady,” “breaking,” “wombing”
• Line 6: “wild,” “seabirds”
• Line 8: “sun surfacing”
• Line 10: “small”
• Line 12: “sands”
• Line 14: “surge”
• Line 15: “Circular”
• Line 18: “heaves himself”
• Line 7: “fishermen pushing,” “sea”
• Line 10: “small emerald island”
• Line 11: “groggily groggily”
• Line 13: “grey,” “soar”
• Line 15: “North Circular roar”
• Line 17: “crumpled pillow”

“Island Man” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Breaking and wombing
• North Circular roar
• (Location in poem: Line 5: “breaking and wombing”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Island Man”

Rhyme scheme, “island man” speaker, “island man” setting, literary and historical context of “island man”, more “island man” resources, external resources.

Grace Nichols Discussing and Reciting “Island Man” — Listen to the poet talk about how she came to write “Island Man” and how it connects to her own experience as an immigrant in the UK. Nichols goes on to recite the poem in the last minute of the video.

Audio of Poems by Grace Nichols — Read more about Grace Nichols’ work and listen to her read six of her poems at the Poetry Archive in the UK.

The Windrush Generation — Learn more about Caribbean immigration to the UK in this British Library page on the Windrush Generation, a generation of immigrants from the West Indies who migrated to the UK in the wake of World War II. This timeline and associated resources discuss how Caribbean immigrants played a key role in rebuilding England following the war. The poet, Grace Nichols, also migrated from the Caribbean to England, in 1977.

British Treatment of Caribbean Immigrants — The poem depicts England as a harsh and unwelcoming place for the “island man”; learn more about the British Government’s treatment of Caribbean immigrants in this article from CNN.

Biography of Grace Nichols — Learn more about Grace Nichols’s life and work in this biographical article from the British Council of Literature. This page also includes a critical essay on Nichols's work.

LitCharts on Other Poems by Grace Nichols

Hurricane Hits England

Praise Song for My Mother

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

By Grace Nichols

(for a Caribbean island man in London who still wakes up to the sound of the sea) Morning and island man wakes up to the sound of blue surf in his head the steady breaking and wombing wild seabirds and fishermen pushing out to sea the sun surfacing defiantly from the east; of his small emerald island he always comes back groggily groggily Comes back to sands of a grey metallic soar to a surge of wheels to dull North Circular roar muffling muffling his crumpled pillow waves island man heaves himself Another London day

Summary of Island Man

• Popularity of “Island Man”: Written by Grace Nicholas, a female poet of Georgetown, this short, free verse poem first appeared in 1984 . She published it in her second collection of poetry, The Fat Black Woman’s Poems . Presenting her own experience of living in a diasporic environment, Grace Nicholas shows an old man feeling odd in London after having arrived from a Caribbean Island. His experience of the coastal area still resonates in the urban lifestyle of London, making him an odd man out. Herein lies the reason behind the popularity of this poetic output.
• “Island Man” As a Representative of Alienation of an Immigrant: Although it seems a contradictory concept that a woman presents the experience of an old man, after all, the alienation a person experiences as an immigrant is universal. The old man wakes up in the morning as if he is on the same island, experiencing the sound of the sea, hearts the voice of the surf, the sounds of the wild seabirds, and almost experiencing the same departure and arrival of the fishermen. His memories of the rising of the sun, of his coming back to the island, walking on sand, and hearing the purr of the motorcars on the North Circular Road stay with him. Moving his pillow and jerking these random thoughts, the old man tries to pass another day in the metropolis of the world.
• Major Themes in “Island Man”: The alienation of an immigrant, solitude, and old habits die hard are some of the major themes of this short poem “Island Man.” Although the old man has reached London, a dream place for several people, he has not fit into that society and its routine. He still feels that he lives on the Caribbean Island in his home town where he experiences the coastal activities of seeing the seabirds, walking on the sand, and meeting the roar of the cars. As he is alone in London, this solitude goes out through the memories of his hometown and his own activities. That is why he still feels all of these old activities in his bones, as if they stay with him and make up his routine.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Island Man

Grace Nichols demonstrated her skill in using literary devices in her poem. Some of the major literary devices are as follows.

• Allusion : It is a reference to a literary, historical, and social event, incident, or figure to show its importance in the existing context . The poet used geographical allusions, such as the North Circular Road in Georgetown and London, the city of England.
• Assonance : Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ in “Morning and island man wakes up” and the sound of /o/ in “he always comes back groggily groggily.”
• Alliteration : Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /m/ in “sun surfacing” and /m/ and /g/ in “groggily” and “muffling” each repeated once.
• Consonance : Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /m/ in “from the east; of his small emerald island” and the sound of /w/ in “his crumpled pillow waves.”
• Enjambment : It is a device in which the meanings of verse roll over to the next without having any pause or punctuation mark. The sonnet shows the use of enjambment , such as;

Comes back to sands of a grey metallic soar to a surge of wheels to dull North Circular roar muffling muffling his crumpled pillow waves island man heaves himself Another London day

• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Grace Nichols used imagery in this poem, such as “and fishermen pushing out to sea”, “the sun surfacing defiantly” and “he always comes back groggily groggily.”
• Metaphor : It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet presents the sun as demonstrating defiance like an angry man, showing its metaphorical representation.
• Symbolism : Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols, such as morning, island, breaking, seabirds, and sun surfacing, show the life of an island man.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Island Man

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

• Diction : It means the type of language. The poem shows good use of formal and precise, and concise diction .
• Free Verse : It means using verses without patterns of rhyme or meter . This is a free-verse poem.
• Repetition : It means to use repeated words or phrases for impact. The poem shows the use of repetition, such as groggily or muffling.
• Stanza : A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. This is a single-stanza poem having seventeen verses.
• Tone : It means the voice of the text. The poem shows a nostalgic tone at the beginning and a memory-based tone at the end.

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful to quote when describing the routine of an island man.

Morning and island man wakes up to the sound of blue surf in his head the steady breaking and wombing wild seabirds

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Analysis of Island Man

Island Man, a poem written by Grace Nichols, depicts the tale of a Caribbean man residing in London who yearns to be back in his homeland. This piece is structured into three primary stanzas and incorporates occasional rhymes like “of gray metallic soar” juxtaposed with “to dull north circular roar,” enhancing its poetic allure and ease of comprehension. The poet’s relaxed writing style, lack of punctuation, and enjambment all contribute to the seamless flow of the poem, mirroring the rhythm of both the sea and dreams.

The poet effectively conveys the sensation of longing for home by skillfully depicting the act of envisioning a place one has never visited. This technique imbues the poem with an intimate and relatable essence, enabling us to vividly visualize the emotions involved in departing from a vibrant island and arriving in a foreign and mundane city on the opposite side of the world.

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The poem’s uneven line lengths symbolize the sea and its irregular waves, helping readers to envision themselves near the ocean and understand the poem’s themes. The simple language indicates that the speaker is still in a state of sleep and dreams. The poet effectively employs various techniques to convey a sense of longing and longing for a distant place. For example, Grace Nicholls uses sensory imagery with the phrase ‘the sound of blue surf,’ allowing readers to imagine the auditory and visual aspects of the sea. Additionally, the poet personifies the sun as it ‘surfaces defiantly,’ giving it human qualities and showing how it rises every day in the Caribbean, casting a bright light over everyone.

The absence of the sun in London and England is juxtaposed with the bright, always present sun in the Caribbean in this line. It represents how the ‘island man’ belongs in the Caribbean just as the sun belongs in the sky. Juxtaposition is also seen in the next line with the mention of the ‘small emerald island’ – a beautiful contrast to the dull gray city life of London.

Grace Nicholls employs metaphor in her poem to highlight the connection between the Caribbean and London. The phrase “comes back to sands of gray metallic soar” symbolizes how sand suns of gray skyscrapers represent the urban landscape in contrast to nature. Another metaphor is seen in “his crumpled pillow waves,” which evokes the image of waves in the sea, reminding the ‘island man’ of his home. Additionally, the lines “groggily groggily” and “the surge of wheels” are set apart to signify the physical distance that separates the man from the Caribbean as he experiences life in London.

The author suggests that the man in the poem is gradually returning to reality after his dream, with the separate lines indicating this transition. The repetition of “groggily” emphasizes his reluctance and slow awakening. Additionally, the phrase “groggily groggily” highlights his strong desire to stay in his dreams of the “emerald island.” The phrase “the surge of wheels” implies that the man is trying to push thoughts of London out of his mind as he longs to remain in the Caribbean. The penultimate line, “island man heaves himself,” further illustrates his resistance to leaving his dream and returning to London. The poet employs ambiguity in the phrase “in his head,” suggesting that either the man is not at home or that home exists solely in his mind. The real interpretation of this line remains unclear, leaving it up to the reader to decide. The phrase “steady breaking and wombing” represents the sounds of the waves, connecting it to the restless nature of the man. Just as the sea appears calm but can quickly become turbulent, he never truly feels settled before having to move again.

The poet introduced the term ‘wombing’ to represent the feeling of security in the womb, as well as the safety found in the sea, similar to being in a womb. The poem depicts both joyful and sorrowful themes through the man’s memories of home, emphasizing his happiness when reminiscing about his homeland and his sadness due to being in London. This allows readers to understand and connect with the man’s emotions and see things from his perspective. The distinction between happiness and sadness is evident in stanzas 2 and 3, where vibrant and optimistic descriptions of the island contrast with the plain and monotonous depiction of London.

The poem concludes with the line ‘Another London day’, creating a definitive and conclusive statement that suggests the man’s routine of waking up to disappointment in London. This indicates that his dreams of home are not occasional occurrences but a daily struggle. Through her descriptive skills and language, the poet effectively allows readers to empathize with the character, despite my personal difficulty in relating to themes like this due to limited experience of moving. Nonetheless, the poet’s writing style and clever poetic techniques immerse me in the mind of the ‘island man’, evoking genuine emotions and a longing for an unfamiliar island.

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English Poem Comparison Island Man

Poem Comparison:  ‘Island Man’ and ‘Hurricane Hits England’

I am going to compare both the poems and explain the differences and similarities between them.

Both the poems are set in England, and the poet uses negative experiences that occur there to remind herself of her culture/home.

The negative experiences in both poems are centralised around the element of weather, as in ‘Island man’ it focuses on the sound of London traffic: ‘a grey metallic soar’; ‘surge of wheels’ which the poet portrays as the ‘sound of blue surf’ and in ‘Hurricane hits England’, the negative experience which reminded her of her home is a hurricane which hit, near where she moved, in England: ‘It took a hurricane, to bring her closer’.

Another similarity both poems share, are that they are both told in third person: this adds an element of distance to the poem; symbolising that the poet feels detached from her culture/home. To add more emphasise to the distance created, in each poem, the poet created a character, but by not referring to them by name, made it feel impersonal and detached.

The only difference is, in ‘Hurricane hits England’, once the hurricane has hit, because the poet suddenly feels close to home, the writing switches to first person, making the poem more personal.

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Another difference is the structure of the two poems.

 In ‘Island man’, there is no punctuation, instead, the line spacing adds half pauses, and symbolises the breaking of waves.

The lack of punctuation makes the poem feel free, just as the poet would imagine the ‘Island man’ to be.

At the beginning of ‘Hurricane hits England’, whilst the writing style is in third person, the poet uses more punctuation, adding structure to the poem, and making it more formal. However, once the poet has switched to first person, there isn’t as much punctuation, showing the freeness and closeness of the poet as the hurricane has hit.

The final difference between the two poems, is that I believe the central theme for ‘Island man’ is of longing for home, as he lets the sound of traffic in London take him back to his home in the Caribbean, and how he finds it hard to get up to face this new environment: “Island man heaves himself, groggily groggily”.

Where as in ‘Hurricane hits England’, unlike in ‘Island man’ where the poet imagines the reminder – the sound of the sea, the hurricane actually hits, making more closeness as it physically happens.

Once this experience has happened, the poet accepts the new home in England, as the final line of the poem is: “The earth is the earth is the earth.”

Document Details

• Word Count 446
• Page Count 2
• Subject English

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How I learned to make the most of summer reading

The leisurely season, I came to realize, offered me the freedom and time to delve into classics like “The Brothers Karamazov” and “Invisible Man.”

It’s hard to tell this story without sounding pretentious, but here goes. Not too long ago, I reached for my old copy of “The Brothers Karamazov.” (I wanted to refamiliarize myself with the Grand Inquisitor sequence.) Opening the pages, I was startled to see a tiny rivulet of sand spill out. I could be even more pretentious and call the moment Proustian, because in the next second, I was lofted back over a span of decades to the place where I first read that book.

It was a beach in Duck, N.C., where my mother liked to rent a house every summer. Like many other English people I’ve met, she welcomed unfiltered sunshine wherever she could find it, and I was happy to go along because, more than the ocean or the salt air, I was drawn to the emptiness, which I knew I would be able to fill with reading.

By then I’d ventured into some approximation of post-collegiate adulthood, and it had dawned on me that reading was no longer a thing the world rewarded. It had to be carried out on the bounce, on the sly, when the day’s drudgery was done or before it had begun. So a week at the beach was the kind of gift I was in no mood to squander. I can still see myself, collapsed in a folding chair beneath a rented beach umbrella. Every part of me is covered or lotioned up (half-English kids burn easy) except for my feet, which are buried in the sand. From time to time, I look up, stare at a sandpiper or a garland of kelp. If there’s no breeze to cool things down, I might get up and wade out in the water, execute a few halfhearted body surfs. Then it’s back to the chair.

I was in a family that valued the written word, which meant that nobody bothered me or expected me to do anything other than what I was doing. The hours didn’t so much fly by as condense into a tidal pool. And it was precisely because I’d been given this expanse of freedom that I couldn’t see spending it on what are normally called “summer books.” This wasn’t snobbery: I was a way-back lover of mysteries and thrillers, which I read and enjoyed throughout the year. But where else would I have the leisure to read, yes, “The Brothers Karamazov”? Or “The Magic Mountain,” “Invisible Man,” “Lord Jim,” “Wuthering Heights” or “Sense and Sensibility”?

It had to be summer because that was the only route to immersion. When I learned, for instance, that I had two months after my college graduation to be idle, I didn’t lounge by a pool — I started reading Henry James and kept reading. “The American,” “The Portrait of a Lady,” “The Bostonians,” “The Golden Bowl”: I plowed through them like sand castles. The more byzantine James’s syntax grew, the harder I pushed, because I had never encountered a sensibility of such infinite subtlety and nuance. (In later months, I would learn that James was both a great writer and a terrible writing model, but the original enchantment lingered.)

Summer reading

I suppose you’d call all these books warhorses now, or else tokens of overstriving, but when I think back to that ardent young man, I don’t believe he was trying to impress anybody. He was operating on the assumption that had driven him since childhood, that people out there knew things, and if he wanted to know them, too, he had to come knocking. And that innocence, that hunger, was part and parcel with summer, because he was entering his own life’s summer.

I sit now, in effect, at the tail end of that summer. The future, which once seemed an endless plain of possibility, is now a peninsula. So many things have changed, including my relationship to the written word. I couldn’t possibly sit down today and read — or do anything — for six consecutive hours. Books are now inseparably tied to my work. When I’m not reading for research, I’m reading for a review or a writer’s workshop or some other professional obligation. Now and again a book fills me with the old engine roar of wonder — I cherish that — but even then, I’m still, consciously or unconsciously, poking under the hood to see how it’s happening. The authorial eye never relaxes. In my mind, I edit the instructions on shampoo bottles.

So I miss, even envy, that disinterested lad on the beach, swathed in towels and sunblock, and I wonder if, by the time my life’s autumn and winter roll around, I’ll be ready to rejoin him. Not on the beach, perhaps, but the nearest best thing. All the deadlines and contracts will be cast to one side, and I’ll be able to say once more, and mean it: Tell me a story . The Karamazovs will be there waiting.

Louis Bayard, a Book World contributing writer, is the author of several novels, including “Jackie & Me” and the upcoming “The Wildes.”

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Check out our coverage of this year’s Pulitzer winners: Jayne Anne Phillips won the fiction prize for her novel “ Night Watch .” The nonfiction prize went to Nathan Thrall, for “ A Day in the Life of Abed Salama .” Cristina Rivera Garza received the memoir prize for “ Liliana’s Invincible Summer .” And Jonathan Eig received the biography prize for his “ King: A Life .”

Best books of 2023: See our picks for the 10 best books of 2023 or dive into the staff picks that Book World writers and editors treasured in 2023. Check out the complete lists of 50 notable works for fiction and the top 50 nonfiction books of last year.

Find your favorite genre: Three new memoirs tell stories of struggle and resilience, while five recent historical novels offer a window into other times. Audiobooks more your thing? We’ve got you covered there, too . If you’re looking for what’s new, we have a list of our most anticipated books of 2024 . And here are 10 noteworthy new titles that you might want to consider picking up this April.

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Grand Island mayor awards students for writing essays on how to improve city

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - Grand Island Mayor Roger Steele awarded 12 sixth grade students with pins to the city on Monday for their work on essays about how they would improve Grand Island.

The students were tasked with writing a 400 word essay about how they would improve their city and what they would like to see added.

Many students wrote about how they want more kid focused businesses in the area, but the focus of the winner of the contest, Saybel Raez Almaguer, focused his essay on safety.

“My priorities were for the people, all for the people,” Raez Almaguer said. “I think that’s a major priority, for our city to be safety. Because without safety, our city will be out of control and nobody will want to live here, and I want to have all the citizens take care of each other, help each other.”

The winners are listed below.

1) Saybel Raez Almaguer, Grand Island Public Schools

2) Jacob Theisen, Trinity Lutheran

3) Abigail Meyer, Trinity Lutheran

4) Kollin DeLaet, Northwest Public Schools

5) Tenleigh Sawyer, Grand Island Public Schools

6) Madhurisha Yuvaraju, Grand Island Public Schools

7) Simon Gustafson, Trinity Lutheran

8) Eleanor Koch, Northwest Public Schools

Honorable Mentions

Brianna Reyes, Grand Island Central Catholic

Harper Bennett, Trinity Lutheran

Karim Magallan, Grand Island Public Schools

Jillian Verba, Northwest Public School

Each student was awarded a certificate, a pin to the city, and some cash or gift cards courtesy of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce. The winner was also proclaimed a mayor for the day.

The contest will now be a yearly part of the curriculum at the schools who participated.

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Copyright 2024 KSNB. All rights reserved.

Severe weather in central Nebraska leaves behind debris and lost power for some

‘Ker bang, bang bang!’ Hastings man describes impact of derecho that blew through

Grand Island woman killed in Hwy 34 crash

Two men killed in shooting outside Lincoln strip club

Significant damaging winds, large hail and a few spin-up tornadoes are all possible later this evening into the overnight

Latest news.

Three killed in crash at Highway 81/Highway 34 east junction in York

Roofing and tree removal in high demand in Hastings after storm

Storm leaves trail of destruction in Red Willow County

Keith County man recounts being trapped in basement after storm destroyed part of home

Rudy Giuliani is served indictment papers at his own birthday party after mocking Arizona attorney general

PHOENIX — Arizona’s Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes on Friday announced that Rudy Giuliani had been served with the notice of his indictment in connection with an alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona.

The announcement came less than two hours after a social media post from Giuliani taunted Mayes for failing to deliver his indictment. The notice was served to Giuliani during a celebration in Palm Beach, Florida, for his 80th birthday.

In a now-deleted post on X, Giuliani taunted Arizona authorities. “If Arizona authorities can’t find me by tomorrow morning; 1. They must dismiss the indictment; 2. They must concede they can’t count votes,” Giuliani posted Friday night. Accompanying the message was a photo of Giuliani smiling with six others and balloons arranged behind them.

An hour and 14 minutes later, Mayes responded to Giuliani ’s post , writing, “The final defendant was served moments ago. @RudyGiuliani, nobody is above the law.”

Giuliani, 79, turns 80 on May 28 and was enjoying an early birthday celebration in Palm Beach on the night he was served, according to social media activity . By the end of the night, “Happy Birthday to You” wasn’t the only music the former New York City mayor had to face.

The party was hosted by Caroline Wren, an adviser to Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake.

Ted Goodman, a spokesperson for Giuliani, said Wren was unperturbed by the birthday bash bust-up. “The mayor was unfazed by the decision to try and embarrass him during his 80th birthday party. He enjoyed an incredible evening with hundreds of people who love him — from all walks of life — and we look forward to full vindication soon,” Goodman said in a statement to NBC News.

Others indicted in the “fake electors” case are further along in their legal proceedings. On Friday morning, former Trump attorney John Eastman pleaded not guilty to charges related to an alleged conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona. Eleven other defendants are slated to be arraigned on Tuesday.

The Arizona “fake electors” scheme isn’t the only controversy Giuliani has faced in the wake of efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In December 2023, Giuliani was hit with a $148 million verdict for defaming two Georgia election workers.

Alex Tabet is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Vaughn Hillyard is a correspondent for NBC News. 

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Rhode Island Man Sentenced For Role In Southeastern Massachusetts Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy

BOSTON – A Rhode Island man has been sentenced for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Alfredo Valdez, 45 of Providence, R.I. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In February 2024, Valdez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Valdez was one of 10 individuals indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022 in connection with the conspiracy.

In March 2021, an investigation began into a DTO operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island led by Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara. Intercepted communications on numerous cellphones identified Valdez as a member of the DTO who conspired with Ortiz-Alcantara to regularly distribute multi-kilograms of fentanyl from a base of operations at a stash house in Fall River. During a search of the stash house in July 2022, Valdez was found inside the apartment along with more than 12 kilograms of fentanyl stored in various ceiling panels, blenders, a hydraulic press and baggies.

Valdez is the eighth defendant to plead guilty in the case. Ortiz-Alcantara pleaded guilty.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law. 

by Grace Nichols

Island man essay questions.

Compare and contrast the imagery in the island scene and the imagery in London.

One primary difference between the island scene and the London scene is the employment of color in the descriptions. Several hues are featured prominently within the poem. In the first stanza, the man hears the “sound of blue surf.” Even though he is listening, the sound is powerful enough to conjure an image with a color. The island is described as “emerald,” which conveys the brilliant green of the namesake gemstone as well as a sense of preciousness and value. After he awakes in London, the “sands” there (which can be read as a pun on the word “sounds” ) are of “a grey metallic soar.” Again, a sound is enough to conjure an image, yet the bright blues and greens have been replaced by a greyscale. That this grey is “metallic” evokes machinery and industrialization, instead of the rich nature of the island scene.

One similarity in the imagery of both locations is the emphasis on movement through the employment of action verbs. Movement in poetry creates an immersive experience. The waves on the island are “breaking and wombing” steadily, the fishermen are “pushing out to sea,” and the sun is “surfacing defiantly.” In London, the sound is filled with action, with “soar,” a “surge of wheels,” and “roar.” Even the inanimate object of a pillow moves: it “waves” to the man. When the island man rises, he “heaves.” This word choice conveys the sense of effort and resignation it takes for the man to get out of bed.

How does the poem discuss cultural identity and belonging?

From the second line, the poem centers the idea of cultural identity and belonging. The central subject of the poem is an “island man,” whose identity is inseparable from the landscape of an island. The island in this case has dual significance—both of the imagined “small emerald island” of the man’s homeland and of the island country of England. It also could represent the isolation attached to island living, which is separated and surrounded by sea on all sides.

The man finds comfort and belonging within the island scene he pictures. The sea is described as “breaking and wombing.” The word choice of “wombing” carries an innate sense of warmth, nourishment, and home. The island is described as “his small emerald island,” which his intimacy with the landscape. He finds comfort in the landscape, which “he always comes back” to. The fact that he heard traffic and immediately was transported to the island demonstrates that the man is originally from a place in which waves are more commonplace than busy roads.

In his current life in London, he is less comfortable. The effect of traffic is “muffling muffling,” which suggests that the environment stifles something within him. His pillow is “crumpled.” When he gets out of bed, he must “heave” himself with great effort.

Island Man Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Island Man is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Study Guide for Island Man

Island Man study guide contains a biography of Grace Nichols, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Island Man
• Island Man Summary
• Character List