Loss In Elizabeth Bishop's Poem 'One Art'
Elizabeth Bishop’s poem “One Art” uses villanelle as a poetic form in iambic pentameter. The poem is about loss. It presents loss as a discipline that, with training and dedication, the reader can get better at. The poem initially gives tips on how to adapt to loss and mentions items that can be replaced. But in the third stanza, the poem takes a turn and reveals feelings which change the detached tone from the first stanza. The speaker recommends to lose more and quicker, “Then practice losing farther, losing faster“(3.7). The speaker tries to deceive the reader by going back to simple things, now with a sentimental value. This develops a conflict between what the speaker says and feels. It ends with a somber look at dealing with the loss
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It implies that everything is destined to be lost, “so many things seem filled with the intent/ to be lost that their loss is no disaster” (1.2-3). The poem proceeds with a pedantic tone in the second stanza, with an instructional form of how to practice by losing daily unvalued things; “Lose something every day. Accept the fluster / of lost door keys, the hour badly spent” (2.4-5). The poem starts taking a different course, going from being confident to become caution and hold the reader accountable; “places, and names, and where it was you meant/ to travel”. (4.8-9). By the last stanza the poem shifts to an ironic tone. Showing that even the speaker loss someone and is here telling the readers that losing this person is " … not too hard to master" …show more content…
Implying that it is a discipline, like Art, to hide in plain sight the real issue that losing hurts. Bishop’s rationality makes it hard for the speaker to continue denying their feelings. Bishop uses imagery to describe the person and places the speaker loves and lost, “I lost two cities, lovely ones” (5.1) the speaker paints a portrait of a cherished place that is no longer there, causing pain. The reader also learns of the speaker’s loss of a loved one, “Even losing you (… I love)” (6.1) leaving the emptiness of
It implies that everything is destined to be lost, “so many things seem filled with the intent/ to be lost that their loss is no disaster” (1.2-3). The poem proceeds with a pedantic tone in the second stanza, with an instructional form of how to practice by losing daily unvalued things; “Lose something every day. Accept the fluster / of lost door keys, the hour badly spent” (2.4-5). The poem starts taking a different course, going from being confident to become caution and hold the reader accountable; “places, and names, and where it was you meant/ to travel”. (4.8-9). By the last stanza the poem shifts to an ironic tone. Showing that even the speaker loss someone and is here telling the readers that losing this person is " … not too hard to master" …show more content…
Implying that it is a discipline, like Art, to hide in plain sight the real issue that losing hurts. Bishop’s rationality makes it hard for the speaker to continue denying their feelings. Bishop uses imagery to describe the person and places the speaker loves and lost, “I lost two cities, lovely ones” (5.1) the speaker paints a portrait of a cherished place that is no longer there, causing pain. The reader also learns of the speaker’s loss of a loved one, “Even losing you (… I love)” (6.1) leaving the emptiness of