basking shark Flashcards
what are the connotations of “to stub” and “to have”
these are infinitive verbs - helps to capture the readers attention
“to stub ann oar on a rock where none should be” meaning of “rock”?
this is a metaphor comparing the shark to a rock since they are both bulky and solid.
“to have it rise with a slounge”
what is the meaning of the “rise”?
Shark that it is in charge
“to have it rise with a slounge”
what is the meaning of “slounge”
Slounge – onomatopoeia – noise of waves, clumsy movement. slounge also seems to be an amalgamation of ‘slouch’ and ‘lounge’, and conveys the slow, lazy, ponderous movement of the surfacing creature it describes.
“is a thing thats happened once (too often) to me”
“once (too often)” meaning?
Although the poet is frightened he tries to inject humour to make light of the situation and this also is implying this is not an encounter he wishes to repeat.
“but not too often-though enough. I count as gain”
meaning?
He implies that, on reflection, while this was a frightening experience, it was one he found ultimately worthwhile and enriching. Dash – indicates no rush. While it is frightening at first, he now thinks experience is worthwhile
“that once i met, on a sea tin tacked with rain,”
“tin tacked with rain” meaning?
Visual/aural imagery
Can see and hear the rain on the sea
(now that shock has passed he can concentrate on small details. The alliteration of the hard consonant ‘t’ helps to replicate the metallic sound of the rain hitting the boat.
“that once i met, on a sea tin tacked with rain,”
“met” connotations?
Met – experience is now not a shock.
He can now think about what is happening
“that roomsized monster with a matchbox brain”
connotations?
There is clever use of long and short vowels in this final line too: the long vowels in roomsized monster appropriately extend and elongate the expression to reinforce the size of the shark in contrast to the short, clipped vowels of matchbox brain.
The linking alliterative consonant ‘m’ serves to further emphasise the comparison.
“that roomsized monster with a matchbox brain”
“roomsized” meaning?
Roomsized – emphasises size
Monster – low down on evolutionary scale
“that roomsized monster with a matchbox brain”
Meaning?
Basic animal - large animal with small brain – like a dinosaur. Opposite to us
Contrast shows difference between physical and mental capacities
“he displaced more than just water. he shloggled me“
“he displaced more than water” meaning?
This stanza marks a switch from observational to reflective mode. The short opening sentence He displaced more than water introduces the idea of the poet being metaphorically displaced.
“he displaced more than just water. he shloggled me“
“shloggled” meaning?
with the use of the colloquial verb shoggled to describe how he is shifted physically and mentally.
“centuries back - this decadent townee”
meaning of “centuries back”?
Enjambment – Draws attention to the words. Shows he is thinking back to prehistoric times. He shoggled me/Centuries back in time.” This creature, creates in the imagination of the poet a glimpse of the early evolutionary stage of the emergence of land creatures from our common ancestors, marine life.
“centuries back - this decadent townee”
meaning of “decadent townee”
The use of decadent suggests that, his decision to remove himself from the natural world to an urban setting, he has lost a sense of purpose in his life and become too immersed in the pursuit of hedonistic pleasures.
