Ringed Plover by the Waters Edge by Norman McCaig is a poem which contrasts the world of the ringed plover with the world of men. The poet is putting forward the point that man-made objects imitate nature

... Ringed Plover by the Waters Edge Ringed Plover by the Waters Edge by Norman McCaig is a poem which contrasts the world of the ringed plover with the world of men. The poet is putting forward the point that man-made objects imitate nature. "They sprint eight feet and - stop. Like that. They sprintayard (like that) and stop." In these lines the poet is creating an impression of the ringed plover's movements. It moves very fast is short spaces. It sprints and then it suddenly stops. Its movement is quite irregular. In these lines the poet has emphasized how the ring plover suddenly stops. He has done this by repeating the word stop. Also, he has used a caesura which indicates a pause in the line. This also emphasizes the abrupt halt of the bird during its rapid movements. The poet has also repeated the phrase 'like that'. What he means by this is that

want to read more? →