Basking Shark Flashcards
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
