Thursday, July 23, 2009
week 5 discussion question 8
In Elizabeth Bishop's "The Fish", she paints a very descriptive picture of the fish to her audience. I find her poem very special because there are few poems or stories that I can paint or imagine in my head. She uses remarkable phrases such as, "Here and there his brown skin hing in strips like ancient wall-paper: shapes like full blown roses stained and lost through age. He was speckled with barnacles, fine rosettes of lime, and infested with tine sea-lice." That is beautiful poetry, and the reader is given this description and can do with it what they please. The reader knows what the fish's main features are, but is given enough twist the image for their own imagination. This is a powerful tool that the writer can use through words.
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I too blieve that the author is very good in creating great imagery in the reader's mind. Even as i read each sentence, it felt as if i could picture her catching the fish in front of me and could paint a vivid picture in my head of the fish. I also believe that the author did a good job of smoothly changing the tone of the poem. At first you think that she caught the fish and is now going to keep it and tends to keep a didactic tones but at line 45 her tone reveals that she's admires the fish for the strength it has. Overall, just like yourself i really enjoyed reading this poem.
ReplyDeleteThe author, Bishop does an excellent job as what you guys said in describing every moment in her growing relationship with the fish. The author made first an image of a helpless locked up while allowing the reader to feel sorry for the fish and even pity his situation. The relationship of the narrator with the fish is very interesting that it grows to one of personal regard as she looks into his eyes and describes his stare. As the reader follows the story, it is also felt that the reader's relationship to the fish evolves too as Bishop's does. As the story goes on, attachment is seen when the reader's admiration is in the level of respect. The interesting scenario is when that the fish had been caught five times previously and still managed to be alive. The fish's "badges of courage," described by Bishop, allowed the reader to grow and create a bond with the fish and understand his life. I should say that the imagery used by the author is really good and that helps the reader relate to the narrator.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with the three of you, this writing is amazingly descriptive. In this unique poem Elizabeth Bishop the author was able to paint a picture for her reader. The descriptive picture that she paints that easily allows any reader to see and feel as if they were there with her on her fishing adventure. I agree with you Jasleenk Bishop does a great job of keeping at certain tone in the beginning of the poem and when she changes tones it is smooth and the reader understands why her mood changes. Not a personal favorite poem of mine but I do think this is a well written poem and includes detail which always makes for a great poem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of you. The author describes the various shocks of his victim, who can only move epileptic finding subject to the will of a top predator. The incredible precision in time management and the circumstances of the object presented shows an Elizabeth Bishop busy at work. This make us see the amount of constraints that can be shot down when it moves in the use of written language.
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