Elizabeth Bishop - The Fish

"I caught a tremendous fish"

Personal, poet is excited about the size of the fish

"He didn't fight. He hadn't fought at all"

Poet is surprised that the fish isn't resisting. The fish accepts his fate

"Battered and venerable"

The fish is worthy of respect as it is out of its element

"His brown skin hung in strips like ancient wallpaper"

Simile, visual imagery, describing the fish's skin falling off, shows poet's attention to detail

"Shapes like full-blown roses"

Depth, detail, patterns in the fish's skin

"Stained and lost through age"

Poet identifies with the fish

"While his gills were breathing in terrible oxygen"

Uncomfortable Image

"Packed in like feathers"

Unusual simile

"Like a big peony"

Simile

"I looked into his eyes"

The poet wants to communicate/understand the fish

"Irises backed and packed with tarnished tinfoil"

Fish is worn out, old and ageing

"Seen through the lenses/of old scratched isinglass"

Indicates that the fish has had a difficult life

"They shifted a little, but not to return my stare."

The fish does not communicate back to the poet

"Five big hooks grown firmly in his mouth"

Poet reveals that the fish was caught 5 times, shows his struggle in life

"Like medals with their ribbons"

Simile, hooks representing the fish's battles

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

Metaphor. The fish knows better than to fight

"Rainbow"

Symbol of hope

"And I let the fish go."

Poet has hope for herself. If the fish can survive 5 times, she, too, can overcome what she is going through