Elizabeth Bishop Figurative Language

The intentionality hidden behind even the most conventional actions and objects is taken for granted. Everything is done, said, or placed because someone made it happen. For instance, a discarded coffee cup may not warrant a second glance to a person passing by. Disregarded is the concept that someone filled the cup, someone drank from it, and someone will clear it away. If a closer look is taken, this underlying intention can be discovered. American poet Elizabeth Bishop explored this idea through her work. Bishop was deeply affected by the loss of her mother after she was institutionalized until her death as well as the loss of her lover after she unexpectedly killed herself. Familiar with feelings of being an outsider, she used her works
At first, the narrator is repelled by the filthiness of her surroundings, exclaiming, "Oh, but it is dirty! / —this little filling station." Initially uncomfortable, this attitude of the speaker leads the beginning of the poem to sound heavy with disdain (Barron). She goes on to express how she does not think anyone would ever live in such a place. Her question "Do they live in the station?" is a mark of her "naivete since she takes offense at the idea" (Thomas). It is this disbelief that causes her to wonder about the lives of these people that are so different from herself, inquiring "Why the extraneous plant? / Why the taboret? / Why, oh why, the doily?" Subtly, an adjustment in the speaker's perspective takes place, as she originally "establish[es] the working class as outsiders, but quickly [is forced] to question this designation while attempting to locate the outsiders of a subservient social class as equals" (Thomas). Forming this connection with the strangers leads her to channel her energy into trying to understand them, rather than judging
Even the obvious presence of oil, in lined-up cans that "softly say: / ESSO—SO—SO—SO / to high-strung automobiles," carries a degree of assurance. Among the dirt and grime covering the station, "only oil, that messy, viscous, unctuous fluid, could whisper comfort to 'high-strung automobiles'" (Gellert 118). Although something, such as the oil, may be untidy or disorganized, it does not mean it is defective; it could still thoroughly serve its purpose. Additionally, there are a number of objects that seem more unlikely to be discovered at a gas station, yet provide valuable insight into the overall atmosphere. Drawing the speaker's attention, "Some comic books provide the only note of color— / of certain color." Espying these brightly colored pages "conveys [a] kind of optimistic spiritual state of the people who 'live in the station'" (Kong). While the station is dulled by a thin layer of grease and oil, the comic books reveal that the family's life is not. Nearby, "a big hirsute begonia" sits on display. Interestingly enough, this distinct plant "is not attractive in the conventional way... it seems to have taken on the masculinity of the family business" (Smith 57-58). A begonia is typically known for its splendidly bright colors, whereas in the poem, its main attribute is its hairiness. Similarly, there is a fair amount of complexity surrounding the doily