What is the basking shark poem about?

What is the basking shark poem about?

The poem seems to tell the story of something that happened to MacCaig one day while he was out in a small rowing boat off the west coast of Scotland. “To stub an oar on a rock where none should be, To have it rise with a slounge out of the sea Is a thing that happened once (too often) to me.”

What is the main theme of basking shark?

The central theme that emerges during this poem deals with our accepted ideas about the process of evolution and our own place in it.

What is the tone of the basking shark poem?

The tone continues as he describes himself as a decadent townee. The use of decadent in this context suggests that, in 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.

What happens in the first stanza of basking shark?

An analogy is made at the opening of this stanza between stirring up dirt in a spring and the water then being all the clearer, and the present situation the speaker finds himself in. The onomatopoeic swish of the water also alludes to the idea of displacement in the previous stanza.

What does Slounge mean?

The neologism (new word) slounge seems to be an amalgamation of ‘slouch’ and ‘lounge’, and conveys the slow, lazy, ponderous movement of the surfacing creature it describes.

What is hotel room 12th floor about?

Hotel Room, 12 th Floor is a pessimistic poem that questions humanity’s ability to defeat primitive impulses. Like Brooklyn Cop, Hotel Room, 12 th Floor explores the thin line between modern society and basic human instincts of violence and destruction, and the dangers of urban society.

What are the themes of Brooklyn cop?

It concerns the dangerous and violent world that policemen in New York, or anywhere in the world can face. By portraying the cop as both a threatening animal and as a vulnerable human being, McCaig questions how civilised modern society is and suggests the dehumanising nature of violence.

What does decadent Townee mean?

The very first idea he comes up with is to criticise himself. He is quite self-deprecating – he puts himself down in a gently humorous way – by calling himself a “decadent townee”. The word choice of “decadent” suggests that he is spoilt and lazy, and that he lives for luxury and self-indulgence.

Is Slounge a real word?

What does Shoggled mean?

to shake or joggle
transitive) to shake or joggle. 2. ( intransitive) to shake or swing around.

Are hotels 12th Floor free verse?

Hotel Room, 12 th Floor is written in free-verse , an approach that MacCaig began to use more widely from the publication of ‘Surroundings’ in 1966. MacCaig moves to night at the close of the stanza to suggest a darker, more dangerous city.

What does Uncivilised darkness mean?

This idea of fear and conflict is re-enforced with foreign places and uncivilised darkness later in the stanza. This could suggest that modern America is in conflict with anything that is “foreign” or that doesn’t tie in with its view of what is civilised.

What does stub mean in Basking shark poem?

“Stub” is an unusual term to use for an oar, you stub your toe. This suggests tripping over something, which highlights a theme of the poem, the idea that this is the shark’s territory, not the human who belongs on land.

Who is the author of the basking shark?

Basking Shark. Norman MacCaig. To stub an oar on a rock where none should be, To have it rise with a slounge out of the sea. Is a thing that happened once (too often) to me. But not too often – though enough. I count as gain. That once I met, on a sea tin-tacked with rain, That roomsized monster with a matchbox brain.

What is the subject of basking shark higher English?

The regularity of rhythm and rhyme matches the rhythmic quality of the rise and fall of the sea itself, and likewise the steady pulling of the oars. The subject of the poem is never mentioned in the body of the poem itself. We can only infer from the title what the poet’s small boat collided with that day.

Why did MacCaig use met in Basking shark?

He concentrates on the specific reasons he feels the encounter was beneficial in the remainder of the poem. In choosing the word met to describe this event, he conveys almost a sense of reciprocity and fraternity between humans and animals. It is typical of MacCaig never to assume human superiority in describing encounters with the world of nature.