Elizabeth Bishop (Leaving Cert English): Revision Notes

The Fish

Overview of the poem

Elizabeth Bishop wrote "The Fish" in 1946 as part of her debut poetry collection North & South. This poem has become one of her most celebrated works and showcases Bishop's exceptional skill in detailed observation and precise imagery. The poem centres around an anonymous speaker who catches a large fish while fishing from an old boat, then spends most of the poem examining this creature with extraordinary attention to detail before ultimately deciding to release it.

The poem takes place on an unnamed body of water where the speaker has been fishing from what's described as a "rickety old boat." As the speaker pulls this "impressively large fish" from the water, they become captivated by its appearance and begin describing it with remarkable precision. What starts as a simple fishing expedition transforms into a profound encounter with the natural world, culminating in a moment of epiphany when rainbow patterns appear on the water's surface, inspiring the speaker to set the fish free.

Setting and atmosphere

The physical setting of "The Fish" is deliberately simple - an old boat on an unspecified body of water where the speaker has gone fishing. This minimal setting creates an intimate atmosphere that allows the reader to focus entirely on the encounter between human and fish. Bishop makes an interesting choice by keeping the environment largely undescribed; instead of painting a detailed picture of the lake or pond, the speaker's attention becomes completely absorbed by the fish itself.

As the poem progresses, there's a notable shift in focus. The speaker's gaze moves from the external appearance of the fish to the interior of the boat, where oily bilge water begins reflecting light in vibrant rainbow patterns. This shift from the living creature to the mechanical surroundings of the boat creates a contrast between the natural and artificial worlds. The speaker notices details like the "rusted engine," "sun-cracked thwarts," and "oarlocks on their strings," demonstrating how their observant eye captures everything in their immediate environment.

Major themes

The awe-inspiring power of the natural world

One of the most significant themes in "The Fish" relates to how the natural world can inspire both fear and wonder simultaneously. The speaker approaches this large fish with what can only be described as reverence mixed with apprehension. This complex emotional response becomes clear in the description of the fish gasping for air: "his gills were breathing in / the terrible oxygen / —the frightening gills, / fresh and crisp with blood, / that can cut so badly."

The word "frightening" reveals the speaker's fear of the fish's sharp gills, yet the phrase "fresh and crisp with blood" shows their fascination with the creature's vitality. This mixture of fear and wonder continues throughout the poem, demonstrating how encounters with nature can be both intimidating and mesmerising. The speaker clearly recognises they are in the presence of something magnificent and powerful, deserving of respect and careful observation.

Resilience and survival

Resilience emerges as another central theme, primarily embodied by the titular fish who has survived to old age despite facing multiple life-threatening situations. The evidence of this fish's resilience becomes apparent when the speaker discovers five old fishing hooks embedded in its jaw, each trailing broken fishing line that the fish managed to break during previous capture attempts.

The speaker describes these hooks as emblems of "hard-won battles," comparing them to military medals with the phrase "battered and venerable." The fish wears these hooks "like a soldier might wear their medals," suggesting that each hook represents a victory over death. The speaker's description of the trailing fishing lines as "a five-haired beard of wisdom / trailing from his aching jaw" further emphasises their admiration for the fish's accumulated experience and endurance.

This theme extends beyond the fish to include the boat itself, which has also survived despite showing signs of wear and ageing. The rusted engine, cracked wooden seats, and water seeping through the hull demonstrate that both the fish and the boat are survivors who have weathered many challenges.

Strange familiarity across species

Perhaps the most intriguing theme involves the speaker's recognition of something surprisingly familiar in this completely alien creature. This connection becomes most evident when the speaker attempts to make eye contact with the fish. Despite the obvious differences between human and fish eyes, the speaker finds something recognisable in the way the fish's gaze moves.

The speaker observes: "I looked into his eyes / which were far larger than mine / but shallower, and yellowed, / the irises backed and packed / with tarnished tinfoil / seen through the lenses / of old scratched isinglass. / They shifted a little, but not / to return my stare. / —It was more like the tipping / of an object towards the light."

While the fish's eyes are clearly different from human eyes - larger, yellowed, and with a metallic appearance when seen through the scratched surface - the speaker notices that they "shift" in a way that suggests awareness and purposeful movement. Though the fish doesn't return the speaker's stare in a human way, there's something in that shifting gaze that suggests a form of consciousness or awareness that the speaker can recognise and relate to.

Literary motifs and imagery

Colours and the rainbow motif

Colour plays a crucial role throughout the poem, with Bishop using both simple and complex colour descriptions to bring her imagery to life. Sometimes the speaker uses straightforward colour words like "brown skin," "coarse white flesh," "a green line," and "a fine black thread." However, in other instances, colours are embedded within more elaborate and evocative descriptions, such as when the speaker imagines "the dramatic reds and blacks / of his shiny entrails / and the pink swim-bladder."

All of these individual colour references work together to create what essentially becomes a rainbow throughout the poem. This buildup of colours prepares readers for the climactic moment when actual rainbows appear on the water's surface. As the speaker describes it: "oil had spread a rainbow around . . . until everything / was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!" The repetition of "rainbow" creates a jubilant, celebratory tone, as if the speaker is overwhelmed by the vibrancy of life represented through this explosion of colour.

Pattern and texture

Beyond colour, Bishop incorporates various patterns and textures that give the poem a tactile quality, making readers feel as though they could reach out and touch what's being described. The first significant pattern appears in the description of the fish's skin: "Here and there / his brown skin hung in strips / like ancient wallpaper, / and its pattern of darker brown / was like wallpaper: / shapes like full-blown roses / stained and lost through age."

This comparison to old wallpaper creates a vivid image that's more about texture and pattern than colour. The "shapes like full-blown roses / stained and lost through age" gives readers a specific visual reference while also suggesting the weathered quality of the fish's skin. Other textural references include the sharpness of the fish's gills that "can cut so badly" and the fish's eyes with "irises backed and packed / with tarnished tinfoil" viewed through "scratched isinglass."

These patterns and textures transform what could have been purely visual imagery into something more dimensional and tactile, allowing readers to experience the poem through multiple senses.

Key symbols

The fish as symbol of endurance

The fish itself functions as a powerful symbol of survival and endurance in the face of adversity. When the speaker first examines the fish, they notice its aged appearance - skin that looks "like ancient wallpaper" with patterns that have been "stained and lost through age." The fish is also covered with small sea creatures like "barnacles" and "sea-lice" that have accumulated over time.

However, the most significant evidence of the fish's symbolic meaning comes with the discovery of the five hooks in its jaw. Each hook represents a previous encounter with death that the fish managed to survive by breaking free from fishing lines. The speaker's description of these hooks as "medals with their ribbons / frayed and wavering, / a five-haired beard of wisdom / trailing from his aching jaw" transforms what could be seen as injuries into badges of honour.

The fish becomes a symbol of the resilience required not just to survive, but to thrive despite repeated brushes with mortality. The speaker's ultimate decision to release the fish demonstrates their recognition and respect for this remarkable endurance.

Rainbows as ephemeral triumph

The rainbow imagery that appears at the poem's climax carries complex symbolic meaning. When oil from the boat spreads across the water's surface, it creates rainbow patterns that reflect light in brilliant colours. The speaker's ecstatic response - "everything / was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!" - suggests a moment of transcendent joy and clarity.

These rainbows represent more than just beauty; they symbolise the ephemeral yet triumphant feeling that comes when everything seems to align perfectly. The rainbows appear at the precise moment when the speaker decides to release the fish, suggesting a connection between this act of compassion and the sudden appearance of extraordinary beauty.

Unlike traditional rainbow symbolism which often represents hope or promise, these rainbows seem to represent the fleeting but powerful moments when the natural world reveals its wonder. They last only briefly, but their impact on the speaker is profound enough to change their entire relationship with the fish from captor to liberator.

Tone and structure

Conversational yet wondering tone

"The Fish" maintains a tone that's simultaneously conversational and filled with wonder. While the speaker's language is precise, it rarely sounds overly formal or artificially poetic. The use of enjambment (lines that flow into the next without stopping) creates a natural, speech-like rhythm that makes readers feel as though the speaker is talking directly to them, sharing their experience in real time.

This conversational quality becomes evident in passages like the description of the fish's skin: "Here and there / his brown skin hung in strips / like ancient wallpaper, / and its pattern of darker brown / was like wallpaper." The repetition of the wallpaper comparison shows the speaker thinking out loud, as if they're making an initial comparison, considering it, then confirming that it's accurate.

Despite this casual tone, the poem is also suffused with wonder and awe. This becomes especially apparent in the climactic moment when the speaker describes the rainbow patterns with obvious joy: "victory filled up / the little rented boat . . . until everything / was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!"

Structure and lyric qualities

The poem is structured as one continuous piece without stanza breaks, which gives it a sense of uninterrupted flow and allows the speaker's observations to cascade naturally down the page. This structure reinforces the real-time quality of the experience, as though readers are following the speaker's thoughts as they unfold.

"The Fish" demonstrates characteristics of lyric poetry, particularly in how it presents a first-person speaker whose observations reveal their changing perceptions and emotional responses. We follow the speaker's thoughts as they examine the fish they've caught, and while we gain insights into their reactions and feelings, the focus remains consistently on the external world rather than internal psychological exploration. This external focus underscores the speaker's fascination with the natural world and their ability to find profound meaning in careful observation.

Poetic techniques

Imagery and precise language

Bishop's reputation as a master of detailed imagery is fully displayed in "The Fish." What makes her imagery so effective is the precision of her language and her attention to specific, concrete details. When describing the fish's appearance, she doesn't simply say it looks old; instead, she provides the specific comparison: "shapes like full-blown roses / stained and lost through age."

The speaker doesn't stop at describing the fish's external appearance but goes further to imagine its internal anatomy: "I thought of the coarse white flesh / packed in like feathers, / the big bones and the little bones, / the dramatic reds and blacks / of his shiny entrails, / and the pink swim-bladder / like a big paeony." This passage demonstrates how Bishop can make imagined details feel completely real and tangible through precise word choice and unexpected comparisons.

Simile and comparison

Bishop employs similes frequently throughout the poem, often using them to make the unfamiliar aspects of the fish more relatable to human experience. However, she uses this technique with interesting variety and complexity. Sometimes her similes are straightforward comparisons, like comparing the fish's skin to "ancient wallpaper" or its flesh to being "packed in like feathers."

In other instances, her similes become more elaborate and unexpected. For example, when describing the fish's internal anatomy, she compares the swim-bladder to "a big paeony," creating an unusual connection between the fish's organ and a large, ornate flower. One particularly striking simile reduces to just a single word: "weaponlike" to describe something about the fish's appearance.

Some of the most interesting similes involve the speaker's thought process becoming visible to readers. The repeated wallpaper comparison ("like ancient wallpaper... was like wallpaper") shows the speaker considering, then confirming their initial impression, making their thought process part of the poem's content.

Sound devices

Bishop enhances the musical quality of her conversational language through careful use of assonance and consonance. Assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds, appears in lines like "with tiny white sea-lice, / and underneath two or three / rags of green weed hung down." The repetition of the "i" sound in the first line and the "ee" sound throughout creates a subtle sonic cohesion.

Consonance, the repetition of consonant sounds, is even more prominent. In the same passage, we can hear repeated "w" sounds in the first and third lines, "t" sounds in the first and second lines, and "d" sounds in the second and third lines. These sound repetitions create a rich sonic texture that adds to the poem's musical quality without drawing excessive attention to itself.

The poem also makes use of slant rhyme - words that sound similar but don't create perfect rhymes. Examples include "ribbons" and "wisdom" or "engine" and "orange." Most of the poem's rhymes create subtle sonic effects rather than obvious rhyming patterns, contributing to the conversational tone while maintaining poetic sophistication.

Rhyme and rhythm

While "The Fish" is written in free verse and doesn't follow a strict rhyme scheme, Bishop incorporates various forms of imperfect rhyme throughout. Much of this appears as slant rhyme, where words share similar sounds without creating exact matches. This technique allows the poem to have musical qualities without the artificiality that might come with forced perfect rhymes.

The most notable use of strong rhyme comes at the poem's conclusion: "the oarlocks on their strings, / the gunnels—until everything / was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow! / And I let the fish go." These end rhymes provide a sense of resolution and completion, as if the speaker's experience with the fish reaches a moment of perfect clarity that inspires them to release their catch.

The rhythm throughout the poem feels natural and speech-like, enhanced by Bishop's use of enjambment which allows thoughts to flow smoothly from one line to the next. This creates the impression that readers are experiencing the speaker's observations in real time, as they happen.