Poetry Flashcards
What are the themes of basking shark?
Evolution, man’s ‘supposed’ superiority over the animal kingdom
“Roomsized monster with a matchbox brain”
Metaphor - compares the shark to a monster suggesting it is grotesque and violent, something to be feared. Matchbox brain suggests the sharks lack of intelligence- shows human superior spot on the evolutionary tree. (Theme of human superiority)
“So who’s the monster?”
Rhetorical question - asks the reader to consider their own heritage and consider if they really are superior. (Human superiority + evolution/character of shark)
“To stub an oar on a rock where none should be”
Metaphor - compares the shark to a rock, paints it as without feeling and perhaps intelligence. (Man’s superiority/character of shark)
What are the Assisi themes?
Hypocrisy of the church, suffering, poverty
“The dwarf”
Word choice - no name was given, dehumanising effect which paints the dwarf as a no one just a poor beggar that people ignore (suffering /character)
“Like a half filled sack”
simile - just as the sack is a worn bag, so to is the beggars body. Depicted as a mere container to fill. (Suffering/character)
“I understood the explanation and the cleverness”
Tone - bitter tone suggests the speaker has their own sense of what is going on in this scene. They are angry that the art is being admired but the message of st Francis ignored (hypocrisy of the church)
What are the themes of aunt Julia
Identity, connection with nature and loss.
“Stained with peat”
Word choice -aunt Julia is connected to the land. Stained has connotations of permanent or not coming out. Aunt Julia is thus becoming the landscape around her.
“Listening to crickets being friendly”
Personification- emphasis how maccaig is comfortable with his aunt and how how even the crickets are nice. Maccaig associates his happy memories of childhood holidays with the crickets being loud at night
“She was winds pouring wetly/round house ends”
Metaphor - emphasise aunt Julia’s connection with nature because it highlights the closeness she has with the landscape - they’re the same.
