How Did Elizabeth Bishop Impact Her Timeless Poetry

The Impact of Elizabeth Bishop and her Timeless Poems Elizabeth Bishop was an American author who started off as a college-born scholar and slowly made her way to be a nationally recognized writer. Bishop lived a life of sorrow and sadness, being ostracized by many, having her family members die when she was young, and having her lover commit suicide. Although Bishop was encumbered with a case of depression and hindered with an addiction to alcohol, she would soon write poems to inspire millions. By writing poems to find herself, she has founded a new form of identity in the small circle of renown poets around the world. She became known for going against the depicted normal writing style in poems as well as being one of the few writers to
“Pink Dog” was created as an exact opposite of her story, “The Burglar of Babylon.” In “The Burglar of Babylon,” the narrator is presumably sharing the mindset of Bishop and is appalled by the corruption in Brazil, which was the country she resided in at the time of writing. In “Pink Dog,” however, the unnamed narrator enjoys the poverty, confusion, and corruption occurring in Brazil. Margaret Dickie says, “In ‘Pink Dog,’ by contrast, the speaker assumes a tone that is variously sardonic, pitying, and bitter” (Dickie). It is believed this narrator is based on the non-sympathizers she met in her time of living in Brazil to the brutality. The story involves a pink, hairless, and starving dog that was found on the streets of Brazil. The narrator tell the dog to disguise herself so she wouldn’t be bullied. Critics have dissected the story to find that the story shows society’s views on someone who needs help. By the narrator telling the dog to disguise herself, and specifically in “máscara,” the narrator mimics the society’s own mean of treating its social disease. Instead of helping the poor and needy, society would rather just cover it up and let no one see it. “Pink Dog” can also be read as a satire of women being dressed up to please others. The story, being read in this manner, expresses a sense of personal violation, anger, and a look into Bishop’s female sexuality. This is one of the few books
Controlled free verse had two word stresses in each line with a variable amount of unstressed words. This format allowed for a high degree of “naturalness in the rhythm” (Brown).
Until the day Elizabeth Bishop died, she advocated for free speech, free love, and free narrative. Bishop inspired many around the world by inspiring poets to write how they want with whatever story they want, even if that topic is belittled by others. Elizabeth Bishop has been awarded over 7 different awards, even after her death. Elizabeth Bishop will be remembered as inspiring poets to open up their stories to more than one topic, breaking standards in writing about current events, and to write about their feelings with nothing holding it