blog




  • Essay / The Use of Symbolism in The Fish, a Poem by Elizabeth Bishop

    In the poem, Elizabeth Bishop in many ways highlights the beauty that poems exhibit in literature. The poet uses different styles to bring out her message. The main idea is that the poet goes out to catch a fish and ends up letting it go. It's an unexpected ending due to the fact that the poet speaks passionately about fishing at the beginning of the poem. The poem carries many symbols that can relate to our lives today. It can be used to describe how, in our simple lives, we carry ambitions that drive us to do what we think will bring us satisfaction and success as individuals. This clearly illustrates the expectation versus outcome aspect of the symbolism the poem conveys (Bishop 755). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Another aspect that the poet uses to illustrate the symbolism of the poem are the colors that she uses to notice the beauty of the fish. In a progression, she describes the fish using brighter colors until the end where she lets it go. She first describes the fish as brown, then green, then pink and later uses rainbow. The poet depicts symbolism with the change in color she uses to describe the fish, correlating with her change in attitude towards the fish. Additionally, there are lines in the poems that highlight how the poet finally begins to respect the fish after catching it. Ultimately, that's the main reason she lets it go. One such example can be seen in line 45 “I admired his sullen face.” This clearly shows the respect and high regard the poet developed for the fish after observing it for some time and noticing the beauty of the fish he had caught (Bishop 756).