"The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop

After reading "The Fish" alongside the rest of Thursday's readings, I found myself a bit amazed at how well Elizabeth Bishop captures the essence of human ingorance and learning. While at first she is simply fishing for the hell of it, the narrator adopts a completely different attitude after observing the fish she just caught. She is awestruck and sometimes horrified by the amazing physical faculties of the fish, and gains something that appears much in line with respect for the animal. Furthermore, it is almost heart-touching how the old fish already has five lines in its jaw and the narrator views these as both a sort of trophy for the fish (a bit of anthropomorphisation) as well as a symbol of the long, tedious life its lived. Quite honestly, I never gave as much attention to an animal's detail until reading this poem.

It appears as though Bishop, too, is indicating that we as humans often overlook the details of the environment/world around us. We are too self-absorbed in our own activities, such as fishing, to think about the environment which makes it possible. I'm not much of an environmentalist, but I do think that this poem can transport a willing reader to a sort of environmental mindset.

See you all tomorrow!

Robert Hartshorn