Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Alan Dugan’s poem "Plague of Dead Sharks" explores the ambiguous relationship between nature and death, using the imagery of the sea and its creatures to probe deeper existential questions. Through the contrasting images of human rejuvenation and shark deaths, Dugan reflects on the cyclical processes of nature and the inherent uncertainties of life.

The poem begins with a rhetorical question, "Who knows whether the sea heals or corrodes?" This inquiry sets the tone for the poem, framing the sea as a force capable of both destruction and renewal. The ambivalence of the sea’s role is a central theme that Dugan revisits throughout the poem, underscoring the complexity of nature as both a nurturing and a devastating force.

Dugan contrasts the human experience with the natural world through vivid imagery. He describes how human feet, "the wading, wintered pack-beasts," are liberated from the "dead rind of the shoes' leather detention" in spring, suggesting a natural renewal and healing process facilitated by the sea. The "big toe’s yellow horn shines with a natural polish," symbolizing rejuvenation and the shedding of old layers, both literal and metaphorical.

However, this rejuvenating aspect of the sea starkly contrasts with the subsequent image of dead sharks washing up on the beach "for no known reason." Sharks, typically seen as apex predators and symbols of strength ("what is more built for winning than the swept-back teeth, water-finished fins, and pure bad eyes"), are depicted in a state of vulnerability and decay. This juxtaposition challenges the reader’s expectations and emphasizes the unpredictable nature of the sea as an environment that both gives and takes life.

Dugan reflects on the dead sharks as "old, efficient forms of appetite" that the sea has seemingly rejected, "digested what is wished of them with viral ease and threw up what was left to stink and dry." This graphic description not only highlights the brutality of nature but also suggests a cycle of consumption and expulsion that governs natural processes. The sea, personified here, appears indiscriminate in what it nurtures and what it destroys.

The philosophical reflection on the nature of the sea culminates in a contemplation of its dual capacity to "feed as animal entire." This notion posits the sea as a living entity with its own appetites and actions, indifferent to the fates of the creatures within it. Dugan concludes that while "sharks are comforts, feet are terrified," humans continue to "vacation in the mystery" of the sea. This phrase encapsulates the human tendency to seek out and romanticize the unknown, despite its potential dangers.

The final lines of the poem revisit the opening question, adding a cosmic dimension with the mention of the sun and moon's roles in the sea's cycle: "what the sun burns up of it, the moon puts back." This line suggests a balance or restoration at a larger environmental scale, emphasizing the interconnectivity of natural forces and celestial bodies in the ongoing cycle of creation and destruction.

"Plague of Dead Sharks" is a contemplative piece that uses the natural world as a metaphor for broader existential queries. Dugan skillfully navigates the themes of life, death, and the unknown, inviting the reader to ponder the paradoxical nature of the sea and, by extension, life itself. Through this reflection, the poem communicates a profound respect for the mysteries of nature and the humility required to coexist with its unpredictable forces.

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