Comparing Basking Shark And The Change

In "The Change" by James Dickey and "Basking Shark" by Norman MacCaig, both poets describe an unforgettable encounter with another creature. Through visual imagery and divergent word choice, the poets elicit a similar tone of awe as they grapple with their encounters and their aftereffects.

The poets’ visual imagery emphasizes the shock and amazement they feel after coming upon a shark in the open ocean. On one hand, Dickey begins by labeling a hammerhead as “unstirrable” (1), giving readers an opportunity to visualize the shark as an immense being with a very noticeable, presence that cannot be ignored. He continues to carefully illustrate the shark’s movement, describing how the “dreaming” (1) “hammerhead goes by the boat, passing [him] slowly

in looking” (2-3). During this interaction, Dickey feels as if the shark has put his “blue gaze in [his] brain” (5), seemingly letting readers know that he too was “dreaming,” and captivated by the shark’s leisurely actions. He goes on to write about “the shark’s brutal form” (8), and how millions of years have not “turn[ed] him” (9), once again informing readers about the creature’s large body, and inability to be moved, allowing the readers to imagine this creature as one that is eye-catching and deserving of the amazement the poet feels when he comes across it.

Also, while explaining the he would transform himself into this creature if he could, Dickey metaphorically compares the shark’s place of emergence to “a place as apparent as Heaven” (18), further demonstrating his awe and amazement toward the shark. On the other hand, MacCaig starts out by describing his boat being “[some]where none should be” (1), and him hitting a shark that “[rose] with a slounge out of the sea” (2), letting readers picture the poet in a dangerous place far out in the ocean, and a shark

passively responding to being hit. The poet also describes the sea being “tin-tacked with rain” (5), an alliterative description that mimics the sound of raindrops hitting the sea, giving readers chance to hear certain noises in the setting, and a better sense of acquaintance with his experience. With the image of dirt being “Swish[ed] up” (10) and, “a spring / [being] all the clearer” (10-11) when it settles, the poet illustrates the disturbance of the water, and the clarity of it once it settles, mirroring his first confused but then clear though process. Also, while never directly addressing the shark’s size, MacCaig writes, “For twenty seconds while, sail after sail, / The tall fin slid away and then the tail” (14-15). MacCaig allows readers to imply the shark’s immense size through a detailed recount of the shark swimming away. Both Dickey and MacCaig have a memorable encounter with a shark, and both poets create significant visual imagery to highlight how they feel about the creature they encounter.
As they examine and reflect on their encounter, each poet’s word choice depicts their respective perspectives and newfound connections to the shark.

Likewise, both poets portray their attitudes throughout their meeting: one that is continually idolizing according to Dickey and another that is uneasy toward the shark at first, but self-disparaging later on according to MacCaig. Dickey is continually admiring and appreciative of the creature he meets throughout his poem. He relates the shark to being the “strength” (6) of creation, emphasizing a belief that the shark is superior to any living being, and therefore showing his admiration of the creature. Dickey also refers to himself as a man “in love” (10), admitting the appreciation he feels toward the mesmerizing “creature of light” (13). Indeed, the poet’s admiration is so prominent, he reveals that he “name[d] the blue shark” (19). The use of the word “heart” (20) to explain where the shark had affected him during the encounter, along with the comparison of the shark to an unknown “brother” (21), also shows just how strong of a connection he had with the shark. Contrastingly, MacCaig seems threatened when he first come across the shark. However, after more time with the shark, he slowly realizes that his initial thoughts about the creature may have been misplaced. The poet begins by calling the shark a “rock” (1) to depict its power, showing that it is a force to be reckoned with. Furthermore, he uses words such as

“displaced” (7) and “shoggled” (7) to express his discomfort caused by the shark. Although MacCaig demonstrates that it was an unpleasant, perhaps even frightening, experience by describing the encounter as something that happened “once too often” (3), he amusingly identifies the shark as a “roomsized monster with a matchbox brain” (6), seemingly belittling and making fun of the shark, while also acknowledging that in spite of its immense size, it is not a serious threat. Once he realizes the shark’s non-threatening nature, MacCaig becomes self-disparaging by using words such as “decadent townee” (8) to describe himself. The shark’s displacement and shaking causes him to question his choice to live a civilized, but corrupt, life away from nature instead of a life with nature. Moreover, the poet asks himself, “who’s the monster?” (13) as he grows “pale” (13), further expressing his realization that the shark might not be the dangerous being. Although they use different words, the poets deduce that they are connected to this creature. While Dickey calls his shark a brother, MacCaig explains how he was “shook [him] on a wrong branch of him family tree” (9), both insinuating a natural relation to the shark.
James Dickey’s “The Change” and Norman MacCaig’s “Basking Shark” both narrate an enlightening experience with a shark. Through the creation of visual images and the use of different words, the poets use their encounter with another creature to reflect on evolution, and the place of human beings within it.