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

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

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