Throughout fact, there is no punctuation at all in the poem. This allows the reader to read slowly or swiftly from line to line. It is warm in the initial words. The "island guy" awakens to the calm sound of "blue waves" and a womblike sensation associated with warmth and protection. He feels comfortable despite not knowing who he is or where he is. Punctuation is used in English poems to indicate pauses, changes in tone, or emphasis. Because there is so much dialogue in this poem, the poet has chosen to show the pauses between each statement by using commas. These can be found in line 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18. Commas are also used to indicate that some words are omitted from what someone says (e.g., "I don't know," or "he didn't say"). Without these marks, it would be difficult for the reader to follow the flow of the conversation or perceive how short or long certain words are. The use of periods at the end of sentences indicates that the speaker is finished talking, while question marks at the beginning of lines ask readers to continue reading. Island Man is a descriptive poem that uses simple language to tell its story. Punctuation is important in poetry because it gives the reader information about how the writer intends his or her work to be interpreted.