Elizabeth Bishop Quotes

Filling Station, In the Waiting Room, The Prodigal, The Fish, Sestina

“I caught…”

The Fish

I caught a tremendous fish

“A five haired…”

The Fish

A five-haired beard of wisdom trailing from his aching jaw

“The sunrise…”

The Prodigal

The sunrise glazed the barnyard mud with red; the burning puddles seemed to reassure

“But it took…”

The Prodigal

But it took him a long time finally to make his mind up to go home

“The sty…”

The Prodigal

 The sty was plastered halfway up with glass smooth dung

“They lie upon…”

Filling Station

They lie upon a big dim doily draping a taboret (part of the set)

“Somebody loves…”

Filling Station

Somebody loves us all

“And I let…”

The Fish

And I let the fish go

“It’s a…”

Filling Station

It’s a family filling station (in parenthesis)

“It was to be…”

Sestina

It was to be says the Marvel Stove, I know what I know says the almanac

“her teacup…”

Sestina

her teacup full of dark brown tears

“You are an I…”

In the Waiting Room

You are an I, you are an Elizabeth, you are one of them

“While I waited…”

In the Waiting Room

While I waited I read the National Geographic

“It was still…”

In the Waiting Room

It was still the fifth of February 1918

“Bishop was…”

Marianne Moore

Bishop was spectacular at being unspectacular