The Poetry Of Elizabeth Bishop

In today’s world, where everything is publicized through tabloids and social media, it seems as if nothing can be kept quiet. Many years ago, this was also encouraged in things such as poetry and writing, “this” being the expression of ones feelings and issues. However some writers looked the other way in regard to this confessional style of poetry, one of the most well known being Elizabeth Bishop. She rarely used her poetry to depress her readers with gloom, and if she did, it was hidden deep between metaphors and similes, all types of figurative language. Bishop was unquestionably one of the greatest American poets, heavily due to the obstacles she has faced and the vast travels she has experienced, which majorly influence her writing as well as the themes of most of her poems, these types of themes are especially evident in her poem, “One Art.”

Elizabeth was an American poet and writer that left a lasting influence on American Poetry. Through her difficult childhood and broad travels, her two very important influences, and lastly her incredibly unique ability to write, she became one the greatest poets America has ever known. Elizabeth was born on February 8th, 1911 in Worcester Massachusetts. Her father passed away before she was even 1 year old, later leading to her mother’s mental sickness. Her mom was hospitalized and admitted into multiple metal asylums, never to see her daughter again. In addition to a childhood without parental influence, she suffered from chronic asthma and was often very ill. Being an only child, Elizabeth didn't have any siblings or important figures to turn to either. Between the ages 3 to 6, Bishop lived with her mom’s parents, but was then later taken into custody by her fathers’ parents. When s...

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... loss of that “you” in the poem has caused her, most likely a loved one, like her deceased wife or father.

Without a doubt, Elizabeth Bishop was a great writer who was remunerated with many prestigious awards that reflected her highly regarded poetic work. Her wide capability to capture her perspective of the world through words and her way of disguising her own sorrowful life in her language allowed her to write about these themes in a unique way. She was generally reviewed in a good light by critics, and writes in a way that is easy to follow and interesting to read. Bishop once said “ All my life I have lived and behaved very much like the sandpiper- just running down the edges of different countries and continents, ‘looking for something.” Well its safe to say what she found was an undeniable talent, a talent greatly admired by most readers like myself.