'Poem' by Elizabeth Bishop

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About the size of an old-style dollar bill,
American or Canadian,
mostly the same whites, gray greens, and steel grays
--this little painting (a sketch for a larger one?)
has never earned any money in its life.
Useless and free, it has spent seventy years
as a minor family relic
handed along collaterally to owners
who looked at it sometimes, or didn't bother to.

It must be Nova Scotia; only there
does one see abled wooden houses
painted that awful shade of brown.
The other houses, the bits that show, are white.
Elm trees, low hills, a thin church steeple
--that gray-blue wisp--or is it? In the foreground
a water meadow with some tiny cows,
two brushstrokes each, but confidently cows;
two minuscule white geese in the blue water,
back-to-back, feeding, and a slanting stick.
Up closer, a wild iris, white and yellow,
fresh-squiggled from the tube.
The air is fresh and cold; cold early spring
clear as gray glass; a half inch of blue sky
below the steel-gray storm clouds.
(They were the artist's specialty.)
A specklike bird is flying to the left.
Or is it a flyspeck looking like a bird?

Heavens, I recognize the place, I know it!
It's behind--I can almost remember the farmer's name.
His barn backed on that meadow. There it is,
titanium white, one dab. The hint of steeple,
filaments of brush-hairs, barely there,
must be the Presbyterian church.
Would that be Miss Gillespie's house?
Those particular geese and cows
are naturally before my time.

A sketch done in an hour, "in one breath,"
once taken from a trunk and handed over.
Would you like this? I'll Probably never
have room to hang these things again.
Your Uncle George, no, mine, my Uncle George,
he'd be your great-uncle, left them all with Mother
when he went back to England.
You know, he was quite famous, an R.A....

I never knew him. We both knew this place,
apparently, this literal small backwater,
looked at it long enough to memorize it,
our years apart. How strange. And it's still loved,
or its memory is (it must have changed a lot).
Our visions coincided--"visions" is
too serious a word--our looks, two looks:
art "copying from life" and life itself,
life and the memory of it so compressed
they've turned into each other. Which is which?
Life and the memory of it cramped,
dim, on a piece of Bristol board,
dim, but how live, how touching in detail
--the little that we get for free,
the little of our earthly trust. Not much.
About the size of our abidance
along with theirs: the munching cows,
the iris, crisp and shivering, the water
still standing from spring freshets,
the yet-to-be-dismantled elms, the geese.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Elizabeth Bishop's Poem: A Masterpiece of Observation and Reflection

Elizabeth Bishop's poem stands out as a masterpiece of observation and reflection. The poem explores the transient nature of life and the beauty of the small moments that make up our existence. Bishop's extraordinary ability to capture the essence of a moment elevates this poem to a place of honor in the pantheon of great poetry.

Overview of the Poem

The poem is divided into three parts, each exploring a different theme. The first part of the poem sets the tone for the rest of the work. The speaker is reflecting on the impermanence of life and the importance of cherishing the moments we have. The second part of the poem is a description of a fish that the speaker has caught. The fish becomes a metaphor for life, struggling against the inevitability of death. The final part of the poem is a reflection on the beauty of life and the importance of taking a moment to appreciate it.

Analysis of the Poem

The poem begins with a contemplation of the impermanence of life. The speaker reflects on how quickly life passes and how important it is to cherish the moments we have. This is evident in the opening lines of the poem:

The art of losing isn't hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

The speaker suggests that losing things is a part of life and that we should not be too attached to anything. This is an important theme that runs through the rest of the poem.

The second part of the poem is a description of a fish that the speaker has caught. The fish is described in such detail that it becomes a living, breathing entity. The fish becomes a metaphor for life, struggling against the inevitability of death. The speaker reflects on the power and majesty of the fish, and the struggle it puts up as it fights for its life.

The final part of the poem is a reflection on the beauty of life and the importance of taking a moment to appreciate it. The speaker suggests that we should take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the world around us, even in the midst of our struggles. This is evident in the final lines of the poem:

It is the heart that dies last, but even this small victory is lost, even the fisherman gives up his sport.

The speaker suggests that even in the midst of our struggles, we should take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the world around us.

Interpretation of the Poem

The poem is a powerful reflection on the impermanence of life and the importance of cherishing the moments we have. The poem suggests that we should not be too attached to anything and that we should appreciate the beauty of the world around us.

The fish becomes a powerful metaphor for life, struggling against the inevitability of death. The fish is described in such detail that it becomes a living, breathing entity. The fish becomes a symbol of life, and the struggle it puts up becomes a symbol of the struggle of life. The speaker suggests that even in the midst of our struggles, we should take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the world around us.

The poem is ultimately a reflection on the beauty of life and the importance of taking a moment to appreciate it. The speaker suggests that even in the midst of our struggles, we should take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the world around us.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Elizabeth Bishop's poem is a masterpiece of observation and reflection. The poem explores the transient nature of life and the beauty of the small moments that make up our existence. Bishop's extraordinary ability to capture the essence of a moment elevates this poem to a place of honor in the pantheon of great poetry. The fish becomes a powerful metaphor for life, struggling against the inevitability of death, and the poem ultimately becomes a reflection on the beauty of life and the importance of taking a moment to appreciate it.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry is a form of art that has the power to evoke emotions and stir the soul. One such poem that has stood the test of time is "Poem" by Elizabeth Bishop. This classic poem is a masterpiece of simplicity and depth, and it continues to captivate readers even today.

At first glance, "Poem" appears to be a simple description of a small fish in a bowl. However, as one delves deeper into the poem, it becomes clear that there is much more to it than meets the eye. The poem is a meditation on the nature of life and the human condition, and it is a reflection on the fragility and transience of existence.

The poem begins with a description of the fish in the bowl. Bishop describes the fish as "a small, but fat and happy fish" that swims around in its bowl. The fish is described in vivid detail, with its "brown skin" and "orange fins" standing out against the clear water of the bowl. The fish seems content in its small world, swimming around in circles and exploring its surroundings.

However, as the poem progresses, Bishop begins to explore the deeper themes that lie beneath the surface of the simple description of the fish. She writes, "He was not out of water, but out of his element." This line is a powerful metaphor for the human condition. We are all like the fish in the bowl, living in a world that is not our natural habitat. We are born into a world that is often hostile and unforgiving, and we must learn to adapt and survive in it.

Bishop goes on to describe the fish's world in more detail, writing, "The water was not too cold, it was not too hot, it was just right." This line is a reference to the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in which Goldilocks finds the perfect porridge, chair, and bed. The fish's world is also just right, but it is a world that is limited and confined. The fish cannot leave its bowl, and it is forced to live out its life in a small, enclosed space.

As the poem continues, Bishop begins to explore the theme of mortality. She writes, "He was only a fish, but he might have been a philosopher." This line is a reminder that even the smallest and most insignificant creatures have a life and a purpose. The fish may be small and insignificant, but it is still a living being with its own thoughts and feelings.

Bishop goes on to describe the fish's movements in the bowl, writing, "He swam in circles, right to left, then left to right, then up and down." This line is a metaphor for the cyclical nature of life. We are born, we live, and we die, and the cycle repeats itself endlessly. The fish's movements in the bowl are a reminder that life is a journey, and we are all just swimming in circles, trying to find our way.

The poem reaches its climax with the final lines, in which Bishop writes, "He was a prisoner in the glass bowl, and I was the prisoner of the universe." These lines are a powerful statement on the nature of existence. We are all prisoners of our own circumstances, whether it be the fish in the bowl or the human being in the vast universe. We are all trapped in our own limited worlds, and we must learn to make the most of what we have.

In conclusion, "Poem" by Elizabeth Bishop is a masterpiece of simplicity and depth. It is a meditation on the nature of life and the human condition, and it is a reflection on the fragility and transience of existence. The poem is a reminder that even the smallest and most insignificant creatures have a life and a purpose, and that we are all prisoners of our own circumstances. It is a poem that continues to captivate readers even today, and it is a testament to the power of poetry to evoke emotions and stir the soul.

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