Elizabeth Bishop S Powerful Poem the Fish Demonstrates That Respect and Admiration Come

Elizabeth Bishop’s powerful poem “The Fish” demonstrates that respect and admiration come not only from visible and apparent appearances, but also from beneath the surface and through experiences. The speaker catches a fish, which at first seems to her nothing more than just a piece of dying meat, but after a minute or two, transforms into a worthy creature, something more.

The extensive use of poetic devices such as rich imagery and repetition in Elizabeth Bishop’s “The Fish” create an extraordinary experience for the reader as they are transported into the poem’s world. The speaker catches a fish that is first regarded with contempt, but then is replaced with praise and wonder after the speaker learns about the fish. The hidden meaning behind the story of the “battered and venerable” (line 8) fish is the need to view the world with empathy and open-mindedness; by doing so, one can reconsider first impressions or perceptions and understand matters, especially people, with deeper insight. Bishop incorporates many literary elements into her writing that create vivid texture and feeling her poem, thus smoothly embodying this profound meaning.