can you help point out any stylistic devices in this poem?
He seemed to know the harbour,
So leisurely he swam;
His fin,
Like a piece of sheet-iron,
Three-cornered,
And with knife-edge,
Stirred not a bubble
As it moved
With its base-line on the water.
His body was tubular
And tapered
And smoke-blue,
And as he passed the wharf
He turned,
And snapped at a flat-fish
That was dead and floating.
And I saw the flash of a white throat,
And a double row of white teeth,
And eyes of metallic grey,
Hard and narrow and slit.
Then out of the harbour,
With that three-cornered fin
Shearing without a bubble the water
Lithely,
Leisurely,
He swam—
That strange fish,
Tubular, tapered, smoke-blue,
Part vulture, part wolf,
Part neither—for his blood was cold.
THNX
What stylistic devices do you see? Do you see the metaphor and simile? How about any others? We'll be glad to help you if we know your thinking about this poem.
You may also want to review stylistic devices in this site.
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/writing/style
Well i did find some but i don't know if that's all of them because i only found a few thanks fot the link. i think there is a similie when the poem says "His fin like a piece of iron". and a metaphor when it says "Part Vulture, Part Wolf, Part Neither-For his blood was cold". and i think the shark is a symbol for a bully? and alliteration is when the poem says "Tubular, Tampered", and "Part Vulture, Part Wolf, Part Neither" i don't know if that's all them?
You've found most of them. The only other one I see is repetition of the first stanza in the last stanza. I agree that this shark seems to be a symbol for a bully -- snapping at a dead fish, for instance.
Seriously? i'm done! wow my teacher said it be hard so i thought there would be more thanks!!
Please check back again later this evening or tomorrow. Another teacher may find a device that I don't see.
The comparison (simile?) of his fin to a piece of sheet iron -- knife edge, tubular, metallic gray -- that is, the comparison of this shark to metal is quite complete. I take it to mean that the shark seems as cold and unfeeling as metal is.
I think you have the individual devices, but don't forget the overall impression the poet is trying to create.
=)