The Fish By Elizabeth Bishop Essay

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Elizabeth Bishop’s “The Fish” is a poem about catching a fish and then choosing to release him. Upon observation of the fish it is apparent that he has survived numerous struggles. Elizabeth Bishop survived several struggles in her own life. Her father died when she was a baby, and her mother suffered from mental illness. Due to these problems Bishop was sent to live with extended family. By the time she was eight years old she had lived with four different family members. Struggles and negative events from childhood often carry over into adulthood. In Bishop’s adult life she struggled with depression and alcoholism. There is an element of history in this poem. Since poets often write about their personal thoughts and feelings, the history may be a reflection on Bishop’s past. In this poem Elizabeth Bishop uses words of …show more content…

The fish is a symbol of survival. The fish represents a being that has endured abounding difficulties and battles. The fish is deserving of “medals with their ribbons” (61). He is considered to have a “beard of wisdom” (63). “Obviously the fish has become a kind of symbol for the human qualities the narrator and Bishop admire: courage, strength, perseverance, shrewdness” (Catron). Understanding that Bishop had difficulties in her life one can imagine why she would admire these qualities. Her admiration, compassion and empathy for the fish cause her to let the fish go. Maybe this symbolizes her letting go of something within herself. Another use of symbolism is the rainbow. When she says, “everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!” (74-75) she is expressing joy. A rainbow in the biblical sense can be considered a symbol or a sign of peace and calm. “This final image speaks of the transformation taking place within the narrator…” (Catron). Her thoughts and feelings have transformed from being excited about catching a big fish to having compassion for

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