Analyzing a Poem
Kristjan LaCroix
English 100
Kimberly Mack
01 June 2013
Analysis of a Poem What does it take for a man to find his self-worth and what happens when he achieves it? Self-worth is defined as the sense of one’s own value or worth as a person. The “Fisherman” written by Kurt Brown is a direct metaphor of life and all the successes and failures that may come about. Browns story of a fisherman is a true testament of a man spending his days searching for a greater sense of self-worth.
As the poem begins, Brown sets the tone writing, “A man spends his whole life fishing in himself for something grand” (Lines 1-2). Similar to life’s journey the fisherman, who is both a fisherman of the sea and a man fishing for a deeper meaning within life, must first search within himself. Brown’s initial statement allows the audience to associate with the fisherman because there is not a person in the world who has not at some point fished for something grand especially within themselves. The fisherman, while continuously “fishing”, is experiencing an intrinsic inclination to find something deeper, greater, more grand and this intrinsic sensation is our way of reaching a greater sense of self-worth.
As the fisherman continues his journey, he must risk everything to attain the success he so desires. Although the success he desires is grand, it is not promised. Brown expresses this ambiguity when he writes, “It's like some lost lunker, big enough to break all records. But he’s only heard rumors, myths, vague promises of wonder,” (Lines 2-3). The fisherman has not experienced the achievement that he is continuously searching for and the uncertainty that couples the risks he takes weighs heavily on him. Brown conveys this burden when he writes, “He only felt the shadow of something enormous darken his life,” (Line 4). The fisherman must cast his fishing line each day and with no assurance that it will have hooked a fish. It is discouraging to only hear of how amazing and
English 100
Kimberly Mack
01 June 2013
Analysis of a Poem What does it take for a man to find his self-worth and what happens when he achieves it? Self-worth is defined as the sense of one’s own value or worth as a person. The “Fisherman” written by Kurt Brown is a direct metaphor of life and all the successes and failures that may come about. Browns story of a fisherman is a true testament of a man spending his days searching for a greater sense of self-worth.
As the poem begins, Brown sets the tone writing, “A man spends his whole life fishing in himself for something grand” (Lines 1-2). Similar to life’s journey the fisherman, who is both a fisherman of the sea and a man fishing for a deeper meaning within life, must first search within himself. Brown’s initial statement allows the audience to associate with the fisherman because there is not a person in the world who has not at some point fished for something grand especially within themselves. The fisherman, while continuously “fishing”, is experiencing an intrinsic inclination to find something deeper, greater, more grand and this intrinsic sensation is our way of reaching a greater sense of self-worth.
As the fisherman continues his journey, he must risk everything to attain the success he so desires. Although the success he desires is grand, it is not promised. Brown expresses this ambiguity when he writes, “It's like some lost lunker, big enough to break all records. But he’s only heard rumors, myths, vague promises of wonder,” (Lines 2-3). The fisherman has not experienced the achievement that he is continuously searching for and the uncertainty that couples the risks he takes weighs heavily on him. Brown conveys this burden when he writes, “He only felt the shadow of something enormous darken his life,” (Line 4). The fisherman must cast his fishing line each day and with no assurance that it will have hooked a fish. It is discouraging to only hear of how amazing and