Basking Shark

“Decadent townee shook on the wrong branch of his family tree”

Word choice, suggests a desire for an excessive amount of things. ‘Townee’ means country people describing people who live in urban areas. Living in the city removed him from nature. Humans have gone wrong as evolution is harmful.

“Emerging from the slime”

MacCaig is having an epiphany. The slime refers to primordial swamp that cell beings are believed to have developed from.

“Room sized monster with a matchbox brain”

Contrast of huge shark, then undermined by comparing its brain to a matchbox. It’s small and therefore harmless. Creates a humorous tone.

“Where none should be”

Was a shock for poet. No rocks suggests deep water away from coast.

“So who’s the monster?”

Realised first judgement of creature was wrong. The shark is monstrous because of size and humans are monstrous in actions.

“Twenty seconds”

Suggests that MacCaig has been deeply affected by this encounter and is horrified at the thought of all the terrible things that human beings have done.

“Too often”

Repetition of ‘too often’ from earlier highlights the contradiction in MacCaig: he’s glad he had this experience.

“Sea tin-tackled”

Alliterative metaphor. Sound of rain hitting the boat and this evokes senses within the reader.