Scottish Text - Basking Shark Flashcards
What effect do the opening lines of the poem have?
They make us feel curious and confused at first, building suspense before revealing it was a real event.
What does the word ‘slounge’ suggest about the shark?
It shows the shark moves slowly and heavily, like it’s lazy and powerful.
Why is the rock rising from the water surprising?
Because it turns out the ‘rock’ is actually a huge shark coming up from the sea.
What does the poet mean by saying ‘(too often)’?
He’s joking that this scary moment has happened before, and he doesn’t want it to happen again.
How does the rhythm of the first stanza match the shark?
The slow pace of the lines matches the slow way the shark comes up from the water.
Why does the poet change his mind in stanza two?
He realises that even though it was scary, the meeting with the shark was important and made him think deeply.
What does the word ‘met’ show about how the poet sees the shark?
It shows he sees the shark as an equal, not just a dangerous animal.
What does ‘tin-tacked with rain’ describe?
The sea being hit by raindrops that make little splashes, like pins on a surface.
What does ‘roomsized monster with a matchbox brain’ mean?
It shows the shark is huge but has a very small brain, using size contrast to make a point.
What changes in stanza three?
The poet starts thinking more deeply about life and how humans and sharks are connected through evolution.
What does ‘He displaced more than water’ mean?
The shark didn’t just move water—it also made the poet think deeply and change his ideas.
What does the word ‘shoggled’ suggest?
It means he felt shaken or moved, but the word is light and a bit funny, showing he doesn’t take himself too seriously.
How does the poet describe himself in stanza three?
As someone who lives in the city and has forgotten his connection to nature.
What does ‘wrong branch of the family tree’ mean?
It means the poet is realising humans and sharks are part of the same family through evolution, even if we don’t like to admit it.
What is the meaning of the spring water image in stanza four?
Like muddy water becoming clear, the poet’s thinking becomes clearer after meeting the shark.
What does the word ‘slime’ tell us?
It reminds us that all life, including humans and sharks, came from the same simple beginnings.
What does the word ‘emerging’ suggest?
It shows the poet is understanding something new, like coming out of the dark into the light.
What big question is asked in stanza five?
‘So who’s the monster?’—the poet wonders if maybe humans are worse than the shark.
How is the shark shown in the last stanza?
As graceful and huge, moving slowly and smoothly through the water.
How does the poet’s view of the shark change?
At first he was scared and saw it as a monster, but by the end he respects it and sees it differently.
What deep idea does the poem end with?
It makes us think about where humans fit in nature and whether we are really better than other animals.
What is the main theme of the poem?
It’s about evolution and how humans are connected to animals, especially ancient ones like sharks.
What does the poem say about the word ‘monster’?
That maybe humans, not sharks, are the real monsters because of how we act and think.
