'Cape Breton' by Elizabeth Bishop
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Out on the high "bird islands," Ciboux and Hertford,
the razorbill auks and the silly-looking puffins all stand
with their backs to the mainland
in solemn, uneven lines along the cliff's brown grass-frayed edge,
while the few sheep pastured there go "Baaa, baaa."
(Sometimes, frightened by aeroplanes, they stampede
and fall over into the sea or onto the rocks.)
The silken water is weaving and weaving,
disappearing under the mist equally in all directions,
lifted and penetrated now and then
by one shag's dripping serpent-neck,
and somewhere the mist incorporates the pulse,
rapid but unurgent, of a motor boat.
The same mist hangs in thin layers
among the valleys and gorges of the mainland
like rotting snow-ice sucked away
almost to spirit; the ghosts of glaciers drift
among those folds and folds of fir: spruce and hackmatack--
dull, dead, deep pea-cock colors,
each riser distinguished from the next
by an irregular nervous saw-tooth edge,
alike, but certain as a stereoscopic view.
The wild road clambers along the brink of the coast.
On it stand occasional small yellow bulldozers,
but without their drivers, because today is Sunday.
The little white churches have been dropped into the matted hills
like lost quartz arrowheads.
The road appears to have been abandoned.
Whatever the landscape had of meaning appears to have been abandoned,
unless the road is holding it back, in the interior,
where we cannot see,
where deep lakes are reputed to be,
and disused trails and mountains of rock
and miles of burnt forests, standing in gray scratches
like the admirable scriptures made on stones by stones--
and these regions now have little to say for themselves
except in thousands of light song-sparrow songs floating upward
freely, dispassionately, through the mist, and meshing
in brown-wet, fine torn fish-nets.
A small bus comes along, in up-and-down rushes,
packed with people, even to its step.
(On weekdays with groceries, spare automobile parts, and pump parts,
but today only two preachers extra, one carrying his frock coat on a
hanger.)
It passes the closed roadside stand, the closed schoolhouse,
where today no flag is flying
from the rough-adzed pole topped with a white china doorknob.
It stops, and a man carrying a baby gets off,
climbs over a stile, and goes down through a small steep meadow,
which establishes its poverty in a snowfall of daisies,
to his invisible house beside the water.
The birds keep on singing, a calf bawls, the bus starts.
The thin mist follows
the white mutations of its dream;
an ancient chill is rippling the dark brooks.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Cape Breton: A Criticism and Interpretation
Elizabeth Bishop's poem, Cape Breton, is a magnificent piece of literature that captures the essence of a place in its full splendor. The poem is a triumph of language, imagery, and emotion, a beautiful tribute to a place that is both beautiful and haunting. It is a love letter to Cape Breton, a place that Bishop visited as a young woman and which left an indelible impression on her. In this criticism and interpretation, we will explore the poem in detail, unpack its themes, and examine its literary devices to understand the depth and beauty of Bishop's work.
The Poem: A Brief Overview
Cape Breton is a long poem that is divided into four sections. Each section captures a different aspect of the place, its landscape, its people, and its history. The poem begins with a description of the rugged coast, the "rocky cliffs" that rise above the sea. Bishop's language is richly evocative, and she paints a vivid picture of the landscape, using words like "glistening," "shimmering," and "sparkling" to capture the light and color of the place. The second section of the poem shifts focus to the people of Cape Breton, their lives, and their struggles. Here, Bishop's language becomes more personal, and she introduces us to characters like Mary, the "old lady" who still remembers the "great wreck" of 1928. The third section of the poem is a meditation on history, and Bishop reflects on the "old forts," the "abandoned mines," and the "overgrown roads" that bear witness to the past. Finally, the poem concludes with a tribute to the "dark hills" and the "wild moors" that lie beyond the coast, a reminder that Cape Breton is a place of endless wonder and mystery.
Landscape: Symbolism and Imagery
One of the most striking features of Bishop's poem is her use of symbolism and imagery to capture the landscape of Cape Breton. The rocky cliffs, the sea, the clouds, and the light all serve as powerful symbols that help us to understand the beauty and power of the natural world. For Bishop, the landscape of Cape Breton is a source of wonder and awe, and her language reflects this. In the opening lines of the poem, she writes:
"In my blood's sudden springing In my step on the stair In my pulse's quickening You are there."
These lines suggest that the landscape of Cape Breton is not just an external reality but something that is deeply ingrained in the speaker's psyche. The landscape is a part of her, and she is a part of it. This sense of intimacy is further reinforced by Bishop's use of imagery. She describes the "spume of the waves," the "lapping of the water," and the "white gulls" that hover over the sea. These images help to create a sense of movement and energy, conveying the constant motion of the natural world. They also serve to establish a connection between the speaker and the landscape, suggesting that she is intimately connected to the rhythms of nature.
People: The Struggle for Survival
In the second section of the poem, Bishop shifts her focus to the people of Cape Breton. Here, she portrays a world that is harsh and unforgiving, where people must struggle to survive against the forces of nature. The characters that Bishop introduces are all resilient, strong people who have endured hardship and tragedy. There is Mary, the "old lady" who remembers the "great wreck" of 1928, and the "little boy" who died "while picking berries." These characters serve as a reminder that life in Cape Breton is not easy, and that the people who live there must be tough and resourceful.
Bishop's language in this section of the poem is direct and unadorned, reflecting the simplicity of the lives that she is describing. She writes:
"Men can't earn a living fishing these waters now. The fish are gone, the men are old, and the boats are rotting."
These lines are a stark reminder of the economic struggles that the people of Cape Breton face. Bishop is not romanticizing their lives, but instead, she is presenting a realistic picture of the challenges that they must overcome. Nonetheless, even in the face of hardship, the people of Cape Breton remain resilient and determined. Bishop writes:
"But they hold their land with a fierce love, refusing to relinquish what was theirs."
This passage highlights the deep connection that the people of Cape Breton have to their land. They may be faced with economic challenges, but their love for the place is unbending. This theme of tenacity and resilience is a powerful one, and it runs throughout the poem.
History: The Weight of the Past
In the third section of the poem, Bishop meditates on the history of Cape Breton. Here, she examines the remnants of the past, the "old forts" and the "abandoned mines," that stand as reminders of the region's rich history. She portrays a world that is haunted by the past, where the ghosts of earlier generations still linger. Bishop's language in this section of the poem is evocative and haunting. She writes:
"The ghosts of the Miners' Union walk abroad in the overgrown roads."
These lines suggest that the past is not just a distant memory but something that is still present, still exerting its influence on the world. The imagery of the ghosts walking along the overgrown roads is particularly striking, suggesting that the past is something that is both real and intangible.
Bishop's exploration of history in Cape Breton is also a commentary on the nature of history itself. She suggests that history is not something that can be easily erased or forgotten. The remnants of the past are all around us, and they continue to shape the present. This theme is particularly relevant to Cape Breton, a place that has a rich and complex history. Bishop's poem is a reminder that the past is always with us, and that it is an integral part of who we are.
Conclusion: A Place of Endless Beauty
In conclusion, Elizabeth Bishop's poem, Cape Breton, is a masterpiece of literature that captures the essence of a place in all its beauty and complexity. The poem is a tribute to the landscape, the people, and the history of Cape Breton, a place that left an indelible impression on Bishop. Through her use of symbolism, imagery, and language, Bishop creates a world that is both real and fantastical, a place of endless wonder and beauty. Her meditation on the landscape, the people, and the history of Cape Breton is a powerful reminder of the richness and complexity of the world around us. As we read Bishop's poem, we are transported to a place that is both familiar and strange, a place that we feel as if we have known all our lives, and yet we are seeing it for the first time. It is a place that we will carry with us always, a place that will live on in our memories and our hearts.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Cape Breton: A Poem of Nostalgia and Longing
Elizabeth Bishop's poem "Cape Breton" is a beautiful and poignant exploration of the poet's memories of a place she once called home. Written in 1946, the poem is a reflection on Bishop's childhood spent in Cape Breton, a small island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Through vivid imagery and evocative language, Bishop captures the essence of this remote and rugged landscape, as well as the emotions it stirs within her.
The poem begins with a description of the island's geography, as Bishop paints a picture of the "long, narrow wooden houses / clinging to the hillside / like shipwrecks on a coast." This image sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as Bishop uses the metaphor of a shipwreck to suggest the isolation and vulnerability of the island's inhabitants. The houses are "narrow" and "clinging" to the hillside, as if they are barely holding on against the forces of nature. This sense of precariousness is further emphasized by the use of the word "shipwrecks," which suggests that the houses are not only vulnerable, but also abandoned and forgotten.
As the poem progresses, Bishop turns her attention to the natural beauty of the island, describing the "wild roses" that grow along the roadside and the "purple-blue" mountains that rise up in the distance. These images are both vivid and evocative, capturing the rugged and untamed landscape of Cape Breton. Bishop's use of color is particularly effective, as she contrasts the soft pink of the roses with the deep blue of the mountains, creating a sense of both beauty and danger.
However, it is not just the physical landscape that Bishop is interested in. Throughout the poem, she also explores the emotional landscape of the island, capturing the sense of nostalgia and longing that she feels for her childhood home. This is perhaps most evident in the final stanza of the poem, where Bishop writes:
"And I am homesick for a place that is not my home where I have never been and yet know well the wide green fields and the high blue hills and, oh, the brown and blue and green of those wild eyes."
Here, Bishop expresses a deep sense of longing for a place that she has never been, but which she knows intimately through her memories and imagination. The "wide green fields" and "high blue hills" are a reference to Cape Breton, but they also represent a kind of idealized version of the island, one that exists only in Bishop's mind. The "wild eyes" are perhaps the most enigmatic image in the poem, suggesting both the beauty and danger of the island, as well as the sense of mystery and longing that Bishop feels for it.
Overall, "Cape Breton" is a powerful and evocative poem that captures the essence of a place and the emotions it stirs within us. Bishop's use of vivid imagery and evocative language creates a sense of both beauty and danger, as well as a deep sense of nostalgia and longing. The poem is a testament to the power of memory and imagination, and to the ways in which our experiences of place shape who we are and how we see the world.
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