The fish - Elizabeth Bishop

context behind the poem

• the poem is based on an actual experience of fishing in Key West in 1938

• Bishop said in an interview “I always tell the truth in my poems. With ‘the Fish” that’s exactly how it happened”

• Very visual poem “I like painting probably better than I like poetry”

• explores the respect for nature and all living things.

“He didn't fight/ He hadn’t fought at all”

• A " tremendous fish” yet he didn’t put up any struggle

• This is what causes the speaker to observe this creature in greater detail.

the fishes ugliness

“his brown skin hung in strips/ like ancient wallpaper” - the fish is quite old and has been through a lot

“He was speckled with barnacles"

“infested/ with tiny white sea-lice” - poorly taken care of.

the poet looks into the fish’s eyes

“I looked into his eyes/ which were far larger than mine” - moment where the speaker actually begins to “see” the fish

the poets respect for the fish

“I admired his sullen face”

“five big hooks/grown firmly in his mouth” - the fish has survived all these past fishing experiences.

“Like medals with their ribbons”

“a five haired beard of wisdom/ trailing from his aching jaw” - Each time it won its freedom

“I stared and stared/ and victory filled up the little rented boat”

the poet makes a decision

“I let the fish go”

• noticing these hooks has a profound effect on the poet

• surge of emotion causes her to see the world in a different way

• The poet descides that the fish deserves to be set free and returned to the water”

themes: an observer of the ordinary of the world

Bishop is a keen observer of the ordinary world.

The poet comes across as a highly observant person

quotes of an observer of the ordinary world

“I stared and stared”

she notices the fish’s skin is like “ancient paper”

patterns upon the fish are like “full-blown roses”

finally she notices that from “his upper lip” “hung five old piece of fish line”

themes: moments of epiphany

• important insights or revelations

• comes to understanding of the new creature

quotes

“victory filled up the little rented boat”

“where oil had spread rainbow around the rusted engine”

“rainbow, rainbow, rainbow”

“and I let the fish go”