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Analyzing The Poem 'The Fish' By Elizabeth Bishop

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What is “The Fish”? This poem written by Elizabeth Bishop is about what exactly what you think it is as you read the title, a fish. It starts off with the speaker out on a boat holding the fish they have caught. The speaker proceeds to describe the fish's appearance. Then they set the fish free. Personally I feel that the fish is basically dying. The following lines makes me believe he is old and dying. “He was speckled with barnacles, fine rosettes of lime, and infested with tiny white sea-lice,” These lines make me feel as if he fish is not healthy and close to death.The speaker feel that the fish is a survivor/ a warrior, the theme of the poem is victory in minor thing, and the poem has a earnest tone and it’s a freestyle poem.
As the speaker is describing the fish she states “Like medals with their ribbons …show more content…

Another line where it’s states the author possible feelings for the fish is when she says “a five-haired beard of wisdom”. The speaker speaks as if the fish has had a lot of experience and has survived many challenge. These two lines “still crimped from the strain and snap when it broke and he got away” also show that the fish is a survivor because he battled with the fishing line and managed to get

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The first poem I studied by Elizabeth Bishop was "The Fish". It is apparent from the very first line that this poem by Bishop was written for an audience and that the poet knew, in a way that was carefully judged, which language would be most effective. Written in the language of the narrative and first person, "I caught a tremendous fish", the poet immediately uses carefully judged language to tell us a tale. Throughout the poem, the poet uses extremely descriptive imagery "fresh and crisp with blood" to describe the fish that seemed to be completely limp and old.

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