Basking Shark - Norman MacCaig Flashcards
Structuring of repeated infinitive verbs of “to stub” “to have”
captures the readers attention, makes us wonder what is happening, adds tension - sense of immediacy
Word choice of “rock”
suggests the hardness and immovability of the object he has struck, therefore it must be of great mass, which is surprising considering his tranquil environment
Word choice/onomatopoeia of “stub”
suggests sudden and unexpected contact, portraying the poet’s shock
Onomatopoeia of “slounge”
suggests the slow and relaxed movement of the shark coming out of the water - thought to be an amalgamation of the word “lounge” and “slouch”
Word choice of “thing”
implies he cannot identify the experience, substantiating that he is scared
Parenthesis of “(too often)”
he does not want to repeat the experience
Word choice of “where none should be”
suggests idea of out of the ordinary
Word choice of “to have it rise”
shows disbelief at what is happening - a rock being inanimate shouldn’t be doing this
Positioning of the word “But”
suggests a change in the speaker’s thinking
Word choice of “not too often”
encounter wasn’t too upsetting but doesn’t want to repeat it
Word choice of “I count as gain”
implies something beneficial and positive about the experience
Metaphor “a sea tin-tacked with rain”
gives a mental picture of each raindrop
Alliteration of “tin-tacked”
captures the sound of the rain hitting the calm sea
Metaphor of “room sized monster” and “matchbox brain”
we associate rooms with being very large and matchboxes being very small so this comparison shows the relative diminutive capacity of the shark
The use of the metaphor “he displaced more than water”
this is both literal since the shark shifts a vast volume of water and metaphorical since it suggests the shark’s presence shifted the speaker’s thinking
