Basking shark by Norman MacCaig Key quotes and analysis Flashcards
“to stub an oar on a rock”
Infinitive clause to capture readers attention and create suspense + tension.
Word choice of ‘oar’ creates setting and lets us know that the speaker is on a boat.
Metaphor compares shark to a rock, rocks at sea are hazardous, so highlights danger.
Also creates image of shark being big, bulky, immovable and without feeling or intelligence.
“that happened once (too often) to me. But not too often - though enough”
Use of parenthesis adds a humorous tone. Poet was scared but now trying to make light of it since the basking shark is harmless.
Word choice of ‘too often’ suggests that experiencing this once was more times than he wanted it to happen and emphasises that he wishes to never experience it again.
‘But’ highlights the change in the speakers attitude. Goes on to repeat previous line and implies that on reflection it was scary but worthwhile.
Use of dash indicates slower pace and that he is in no rush to get out of the situation, however, he still wouldn’t want to repeat the experience.
“roomsized monster with a matchbox brain”
Word choice of ‘roomsized’ emphasises sheer size and bulk of the shark. Shows that MacCaig is intimidated by the sharks size.
Word choice of ‘monster’ suggests frightening, evil, bad, scary. This shows that MacCaig believes he is superior to the shark and he thinks that humans are more evolved than sharks. Highlights that when he met the shark he believed it was low on the evolutionary scale.
‘Matchbox brain’ contrasts with the huge size of the shark. Reinforces that he views the shark as large and stupid or unintelligent.
“He displaced more than water”
Turning point in MacCaig’s thoughts.
Word choice of ‘displaced’ has connotations of moving. Could be literally in that the sharks bulk shifted a volume of water which shifted the boat. Or metaphorically in that the sharks presence shifted the speakers thinking about evolution and about man and his arrogance. He no longer believes he is superior to the shark. They are equal.
“shook on the wrong branch of his family tree”
Word choice of ‘shook’ suggests agitated, disturbed. This shows that MacCaig is forced to think about man’s origins and he is reminded that the shark too is part of our own family tree and is inextricably linked to us in the same way as any other ancestor. Shows he now sees the world is no longer just about the humans living on it.
‘shook’ also suggests the position on the tree is unsteady and precarious.
‘wrong branch’ implies that humans have developed in the wrong direction.
“swish up the dirt”
Onomatopoeic ‘swish’ of the water highlights the displacement of his thoughts.
The dirt is metaphoric of the murky thought of how humans evolved into what they are now.
Metaphor compares stirring muddy puddle to make it clearer when the dirt settles to his encounter with the shark, where the experience stirs up his mind and causes confusion, but once it settled he is able to think clearer than before.
“so who’s the monster?”
Rhetorical question.
Links back to second stanza, where very dismissive tone was used. Now he is not as confident as to who the superior species is. Is the basking shark the monster due to its sheer size and appearance or it is humans for being so far from nature, corrupt and greedy?
The fear, violence and threat that was previously associated with the shark has now been transferred onto mankind.
