Elizabeth Bishop The Fish
Elizabeth Bishop The Fish
Elizabeth Bishop's "The Fish" deals with the contact of a fisher with his just caught victim. It's about the feeling of private triumph and moreover the pity and respect for others. The poem which is told the reader by a first person narrator starts with the fact that the fisher just caught the fish without having to struggle. It wasn't hard for him to catch the fish because he didn't make an effort to escape. The fish which he is holding beside the boat is in a pretty bad shape. His skin resembles an "ancient wallpaper" and he is "speckled with barnacles". By staring at the fish, the fisher's feeling of success and superiority grows more and more.
However, while he is looking in the large and yellowed eyes of his …show more content…
little friend, he starts to admire the appearance of his victim. He is concentrating on the "sullen face" and "the mechanism of his jaw" and suddenly discovers five old pieces of fish-line hanging out of the fish's mouth. Moreover he spots also five big hooks and his pride is even getting bigger. He is obviously the first person to beat that little beast.
While he is thinking about what he has achieved oil is flowing all over the boat and into the sea. The fisher is so imressed that he throws the fish back into the sea.
Elizabeth Bishop starts the poem with a description of the fish. She tries to create a picture of an ugly and huge creature, which will serve as a trophy for the proud fisher. But in line five to seven she entitles the fish as "He" to show the reader a human aspect of the fish. Furthermore she begins three sentences with "He" and uses the repetition to confirm that the fish is not only an animal but also has a personal part. In addition she is talking about several features like the "lower lip" of the fish in line 48 or "the sullen face" in line 45 what is another evidence for the human aspect of the fish. While he is looking in the large eyes of the fish he is
He is describing every part of the fish very detailed. Moreover he thinks about the "big bones and the little bones" and also imagines what the entrails would look like.
In the course of the poem Elizabeth Bishop manages it to change the reader's attitude towards the fish. The fisher begins to admire his catch and recognises that he is starting to feel sympathy for his victim.
He realises that his catch is not only a catch but rather a living character and starts taking pity on the fish.
Another important fact is that the fisher is probably not a professional. Elizabeth Bishop writes in line 67 that he is sitting in "a rented book", maybe this is the first time he has gone fishing and already got a tremendous fish.
The fisher discovers five old pieces of fish-line which show him that he was the first person who was able to win the fight against the huge fish. But on the other hand the fish is tired of trying to escape over and over again. He is always forced to fight an uneven battle where he can't be the winner. The big hooks in his mouth are like medals for every fisher he could escape from.
In the next part the great feeling of being the first person who could beat this fish makes the fisher feel satisfied and proud.
As the fisher sees the beautiful picture which looks like a rainbow and is created by the flowing oil he recognises that the fish is a living creature and has also the right to live. He may think that there isn't a big difference between him and his huge catch.
Deeply moved by the rainbow his respect for the fish grows and he throws him back into the
sea.
By throwing his victim back there is not longer a loser. The fisher is satisfied because he was able to catch the huge fish without having much experience and on the other side the fish who is still able to live. But the water is not only beautiful but also
Toxic because of the flowing oil. In my opinion Elizabeth Bishop wants to show the reader that in her world both would survive, the fisher and the fish. Furthermore we live in a dangerous world but we should never stop fighting and at the end we will gain happiness which her is symbolised by the rainbow.
Elizabeth Bishop's "The Fish" deals with the contact of a fisher with his just caught victim. It's about the feeling of private triumph and moreover the pity and respect for others. The poem which is told the reader by a first person narrator starts with the fact that the fisher just caught the fish without having to struggle. It wasn't hard for him to catch the fish because he didn't make an effort to escape. The fish which he is holding beside the boat is in a pretty bad shape. His skin resembles an "ancient wallpaper" and he is "speckled with barnacles". By staring at the fish, the fisher's feeling of success and superiority grows more and more.
However, while he is looking in the large and yellowed eyes of his …show more content…
little friend, he starts to admire the appearance of his victim. He is concentrating on the "sullen face" and "the mechanism of his jaw" and suddenly discovers five old pieces of fish-line hanging out of the fish's mouth. Moreover he spots also five big hooks and his pride is even getting bigger. He is obviously the first person to beat that little beast.
While he is thinking about what he has achieved oil is flowing all over the boat and into the sea. The fisher is so imressed that he throws the fish back into the sea.
Elizabeth Bishop starts the poem with a description of the fish. She tries to create a picture of an ugly and huge creature, which will serve as a trophy for the proud fisher. But in line five to seven she entitles the fish as "He" to show the reader a human aspect of the fish. Furthermore she begins three sentences with "He" and uses the repetition to confirm that the fish is not only an animal but also has a personal part. In addition she is talking about several features like the "lower lip" of the fish in line 48 or "the sullen face" in line 45 what is another evidence for the human aspect of the fish. While he is looking in the large eyes of the fish he is
He is describing every part of the fish very detailed. Moreover he thinks about the "big bones and the little bones" and also imagines what the entrails would look like.
In the course of the poem Elizabeth Bishop manages it to change the reader's attitude towards the fish. The fisher begins to admire his catch and recognises that he is starting to feel sympathy for his victim.
He realises that his catch is not only a catch but rather a living character and starts taking pity on the fish.
Another important fact is that the fisher is probably not a professional. Elizabeth Bishop writes in line 67 that he is sitting in "a rented book", maybe this is the first time he has gone fishing and already got a tremendous fish.
The fisher discovers five old pieces of fish-line which show him that he was the first person who was able to win the fight against the huge fish. But on the other hand the fish is tired of trying to escape over and over again. He is always forced to fight an uneven battle where he can't be the winner. The big hooks in his mouth are like medals for every fisher he could escape from.
In the next part the great feeling of being the first person who could beat this fish makes the fisher feel satisfied and proud.
As the fisher sees the beautiful picture which looks like a rainbow and is created by the flowing oil he recognises that the fish is a living creature and has also the right to live. He may think that there isn't a big difference between him and his huge catch.
Deeply moved by the rainbow his respect for the fish grows and he throws him back into the
sea.
By throwing his victim back there is not longer a loser. The fisher is satisfied because he was able to catch the huge fish without having much experience and on the other side the fish who is still able to live. But the water is not only beautiful but also
Toxic because of the flowing oil. In my opinion Elizabeth Bishop wants to show the reader that in her world both would survive, the fisher and the fish. Furthermore we live in a dangerous world but we should never stop fighting and at the end we will gain happiness which her is symbolised by the rainbow.