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Flashcards in Basking Shark Deck (25)
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1
Q

To stub

A
  • imagery
  • suggests that boat’s oar has hit something solid,
    something that refuses to give a little
2
Q

a rock

A
  • metaphor
  • we are led to assume that the shark, like a rock, is bulky,
    solid, without feeling + perhaps without intelligent
3
Q

slounge

A
  • onomatopoeia
  • noise the shark makes when shark leaves water - not
    graceful
4
Q

But not too often - though enough

A
  • initially puzzling, it seems to contradict with what he
    said in stanza 1 - change in poem
  • the use of the dash indicates that he’s in no rush to
    meet the shark again
5
Q

I count as gain

A
  • enjambement
  • important experience to him, he now thinks it’s a
    positive encounter
6
Q

happened once

A
  • WC of ‘once’ suggests
  • the poet seems to be frightened by the encounter and
    doesn’t want it to happen again
7
Q

(too often)

A
  • brackets
  • indicate a slightly humorous aside
  • he has not relished the encounter at all - the poet was
    scared but is trying to make light out of it now
8
Q

met

A
  • WC
  • element of shock has gone, meeting now sounds
    prearranged
9
Q

tin-tacked

A
  • onomatopoeia

- water isn’t solid but sounds like it is piercing water

10
Q

roomsized monster

A
  • metaphor

- emphasising the sheer size + bulk of the shark

11
Q

matchbox brain

A
  • word choice of ‘matchbox’
  • suggesting he has a small brain has little intelligence, is
    inferior
  • contrasts with ‘roomsized monster’
12
Q

displaced

A
  • WC
  • the poet starts to realise he is closer to the shark on the
    ladder of evolution
13
Q

shoggled

A
  • WC

- clumsy poet is moved fairly violently

14
Q

Centuries

A
  • enjambement

- to emphasise how long evolution took for humans

15
Q

decadent townee

A
  • Imagery
  • someone with no-worthwhile purpose to their life + lives
    only for enjoyment
16
Q

wrong branch

A
  • WC of ‘wrong’

- doesn’t want to admit

17
Q

family tree

A
  • WC of ‘family’
  • MacCaig suggests that the shark is also apart of our
    family tree
18
Q

Swish

A
  • onomatopoeia

- noise of moving water, swirling of dirt + water

19
Q

settles, a spring

Is all the clearer.

A
  • enjambement
  • swirling stops, dirt settles - clearer to see, inspiring he
    see’s his place in evolution
20
Q

Emerging from the slime of everything

A
  • metaphor

- darkness > light, the poet too has emerged

21
Q

So who’s the monster?

A
  • rhetorical question

- showing poets thoughts have changed

22
Q

grow pale

A
  • Imagery

- sudden realisation humans are monsters - horror

23
Q

twenty seconds

A
  • WC of ‘seconds’

- momentary thought

24
Q

sail after sail

v link v

A
  • alliteration

- it’s smooth

25
Q

Slid

^ link ^

A
  • WC
  • elegant, graceful movement
  • contrasts with ‘slounge’ - this shows his perspective of
    nature has changed by the end of the poem