The Fish

The Fish by Elizabeth Bishop

I caught a tremendous fish

and held him beside the boat
half out of water, with my hook
fast in a corner of his mouth.
He didn't fight.
He hadn't fought at all.
He hung a grunting weight,
battered and venerable
and homely. 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.
He was speckled and barnacles,
fine rosettes of lime,
and infested
with tiny white sea-lice,
and underneath two or three
rags of green weed hung down.
While his gills were breathing in
the terrible oxygen
--the frightening gills,
fresh and crisp with blood,
that can cut so badly--
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 peony.
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 toward the light.
I admired his sullen face,
the mechanism of his jaw,
and then I saw
that from his lower lip
--if you could call it a lip
grim, wet, and weaponlike,
hung five old pieces of fish-line,
or four and a wire leader
with the swivel still attached,
with all their five big hooks
grown firmly in his mouth.
A green line, frayed at the end
where he broke it, two heavier lines,
and a fine black thread
still crimped from the strain and snap
when it broke and he got away.
Like medals with their ribbons
frayed and wavering,
a five-haired beard of wisdom
trailing from his aching jaw.
I stared and stared
and victory filled up
the little rented boat,
from the pool of bilge
where oil had spread a rainbow
around the rusted engine
to the bailer rusted orange,
the sun-cracked thwarts,
the oarlocks on their strings,
the gunnels--until everything
was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!
And I let the fish go.

“ "The Fish" by: Elizabeth Bishop * The Theme of 'True' Beauty or 'Inner' Beauty: Neither her battered boat

nor the "venerable" old fish is beautiful in conventional terms. Their beauty lies in having survived, & when the
speaker realizes this, "victory filled up / the little rented boat" & she understands that "everything / was rainbow,
rainbow, rainbow!" That is when she lets the fish return to his home in the water. The fish helps Bishop to
notice true beauty: "The fish is only ugly or grotesque to the untrained or unempathic eye" (McCabe). The
notion causes her to see other objects around her differently. Everything is a rainbow when she looks around.

This feeling allows her to release the fish. The ... ”

“ ... gives up both the poem & the fish. The composite image of the fish's essential beauty--his being alive--is

developed further in the description of the 5 fishhooks that the captive, living fish carries in his lip. * The Theme
of Respect & Admiration: The admiration for the fish is ironic since he was detested when 1st caught. The
relationship tween the fish & Bishop becomes even closer when she notices his lip. These broken fishing lines
are the turning point tween her & the fish. Now, Bishop considers the catch an accomplishment. She sees
evidence that 5 others have tried unsuccessfully to bring in this fish. The fish evolves into a majestic character

She is able ”
Sean Liao (4/15/2010 12:07:00 AM)

Elizabeth Bishop is renown to write poetry about the beauty of poetry. This poem is not
an exception. The fisherman merely caught a fish, yet by his imagination and
creativity(which is part of poetry) he was able to imagine the fish beyond what it was,
not only talking about its skin but also about its innards and portraying it as a war
veteran. In fact, the ending spoke of how the fisherman even began to see the colors of
the rainbow. Sad to say, the poem focuses more on poetry itself; it is unlikely the poem
is speaking of morality or life and death between the fisherman and the fish.
Great poem!

Serique Gil (7/5/2009 8:44:00 PM)

Totally amazing. Beyond any fishing experience! ! !

real poem!

much more of what you see

Kristine Sloma (3/19/2009 6:43:00 PM)

I agree with Lee and with Aisling. The poem really shows her eye for detail, and I like
that it was so detailed. I like to see the picture and this poem really does that. Lee points
out that this poem is about the fish and the fisherman. The fish is struggling to live,
while the fisherman is seeing a triumph when the fish ends up being so big. The poem
also talks about how the fish has 5 hooks in its mouth, and that shows that the fish has
had a lot of experiences, most of them being successful of getting off of the hook. Lee
makes a great point showing that, and Aisling points out that the detail is so amazing.

Jack Ruckus (3/19/2009 6:40:00 PM)

Lee you are a man of tremendous knowledge! you have seen that this poem is more
than just 'hey i caught a fish! ' THis poem is about all of our struggles and living with
them! We need to respect eachother just like Elizabeth respects this fish and lets him
leave, seeing that he has been through many fights in his fish life.
This poem is simply exquisite and Lee, yo ubeat me to this post!

Kaitlynn Lalond (3/19/2009 6:37:00 PM)

I'm gonna have to agree with Lee, this poem is definately about the fish and the
fisherman. Sometimes in life when we encounter a struggle or trial we just kinda hang
there with the hook in our mouth waiting for relief. If you read each and every word
you'll understand that the fisherman is explaining more than the just the fish hanging
from the hook! I thought this poem was very interesting and extremely well written.
 Lee Moore (1/28/2009 9:24:00 PM)

I'm not an 'expert' when it comes to poetry but this one captures SO much! This is not
about this 'poor ole fish'. This is about both of them and the struggle of life; hope,
triumph, surrender and love. Exquisite!

Paul Butters (3/1/2008 6:47:00 PM)

Simply one of my favourite poems ever. Beautiful imagery. Glad she let go.

Aisling Fagan (9/27/2006 10:44:00 AM)

I think this is a wonderful poem by Elizabeth Bishop. It shows some of her striking
characteristics: her eye of detail. Its a very interesting poem. Her details of the fishs eye
is of extraodinary detail. Each layer creates a vivid image in my head.
nalysis of the ***** "The *****" by ***** Bishop
The Fish" by Elizabeth ***** is ***** poem that tells ***** readers the story ***** the narrator or the Voice ***** she
narrates her ***** about ***** fish ***** she had caught, and the reflections that she gained from this experience. "The
Fish" is a poem about the sufferings and hardships that a creature like a fish has endured throughout his life, and that
***** theme of survival is evident ***** the poem through the fish's *****. Aside from the ***** of *****, the poem also
focuses on the narrator's feelings and thoughts about the endurance ***** life of the fish she had caught; ***** fact,
the narrator ***** a ***** wisdom ***** the reflection that she did as she stared and observed 'the fish.' Aside from the
***** in the poem, different poetic ***** were used to effectively describe the fish ***** the narrator's experience, as
well as extend the message that Bishop wants to tell her readers. Poetic elements used in the ***** are the following:
*****, symbolism, similes, and parallelism. These themes and roles of ***** primary characters (the fish and the
pot/narrator/Voice) will be discussed in this paper, ***** well ***** the poetic elements used in the poem ***** achieve
the message and theme ***** conveys ***** her poem.

The ***** 5 lines of the poem are depicted through imagery, establishing the introduction of the fish through the *****.
The first lines ***** vital to the establishment of the message of the poem because the experience and encounter *****
the narrator had with the ***** is interpreted and described solely by the narrator, and ***** her own description, *****
as readers are able to interpret her descriptions and opinions about the fish ***** the ***** subjective ***** and *****
reflection and comparison of her own personal ***** and ***** in life. The ***** lines, "He didn't *****/ He hadn't fought
***** all/ ***** hung ***** grunting *****..." (lines *****) uses the element ***** parallelism, wherein the poet emphasizes
***** importance of the ***** lack of attempt to struggle, which is in contrast to the natural reaction to animals when
subjected to such ***** situation. Thus, by describing the ***** that ***** fish hadn't struggled after being *****, we as
readers might interpret the fish's ***** as one of ***** and acceptance of his fate (***** is, to die ***** the hands of the
narrator). Simile is used in ***** succeeding *****: "... his brown skin hung ***** strips/ like ancient *****/ and *****
pattern of darker brown/ was like wallpaper... stained and lost through age..." (lines *****, 14). The fish's seemingly old
***** is a foreshadowing of the eventual realization of the ***** that ***** fish had been through all ***** of hardships
and sufferings, and this fact ***** be established later ***** the ***** part of the poem. In this part of the poem, the
narrator acts only to describe the fish she had caught, and
Abstract
This paper analyzes Bishop's poem "The Fish," about the sufferings and hardships that a creature like a fish has
to endure throughout its life. The author discusses the theme of survival and how the poem focuses on the
narrator's feelings and thoughts about the endurance in life of the fish she has caught. The poetic elements are
examined, including imagery, symbolism, similes and parallelism. The themes and roles of the primary characters
are discussed.

From the Paper

"The succeeding lines have used imagery as its primary element in describing, and finally establishing, the physical
characteristics of the fish. In fact, these lines have pored through every detail of the fish's physical form, and even
described the animal's internal parts; the description of the fish's physical form is an attempt to establish the fact
that aside from the fish's extraordinary characteristics, the fish is a fine-looking animal, yet, terrible in a way
because of the environmental elements that he encountered in his life: "He was speckled with barnacles/ fine
rosettes of lime" rags of green weed hung down/ While his gills were breathing in/ the terrible oxygen/ the
frightening gills "that can cut so badly"" (lines 16-23). Through imagery, the poet was able to describe the
condition of the fish, as well as its beauty and the potential danger that it can give to its captor."

Abstract
This paper explains that Bishop's observation in "The Fish" not only creates an image of the fish for the reader,
but also expands the scope of the poet's appreciation for the fish. The author points out that, in this
narrative poem,Bishop uses rhetorical and sound devices, as well as tone, metaphor, symbolism, personification,
simile, and imagery. The paper relates that her great attention to detail allows us to understand
the fish as Bishop does and, as a result, to understand why she sets the fish free.

From the Paper

"These lines illustrate the poet's ability to capture details about the simplest and smallest of things. The poet
utilizes the technique of hyperbole here by stating that the fish's eyes were bigger than her own were. Her
intention is to make us sense the life she became aware of when she looked into the fish's eyes, which ultimately
makes her feel sympathy for the fish. The action of looking into the fish's eyes is also powerful in that it allows the
poet to personify the fish. We also discover the poet's use of an apostrophe here, which is emphasized by the
poet's looking into the fish's eyes."

Elizabeth Bishop’s “The Fish”: A Psychoanalytic Reading

Elizabeth Bishop’s speaker in “The Fish” describes her catch— “battered and
venerable and homely”—with a mixture of sympathy and bravado. This fish,
with his
hook-filled mouth, emerges as a symbol of pain, an occasion for the speaker
to confront
that which is normally repressed and unseen. But with her elaborate, lyrical
description,
the speaker can be read as an artist who is able to translate this anguish into
a “fivehaired
beard of wisdom.” As the she celebrates her mastery over the fish, the poem
ends
triumphantly with the paradoxical suggestion that creativity is produced
through
destruction: suffering, Bishop concludes, can be the impetus for the
imagination.
Bishop’s speaker first describes the fish as a relic, a living diary upon which
layers of meaning are physically inscribed. Coated with relics of the sea, he
is “speckled
with barnacles” and “infested with tiny sea lice.” In the fish, the speaker sees
not only the
vestiges of the sea, but also the traces of a domestic, human scene. She
characterizes him
in familial terms: his brown skin is like “ancient wallpaper” in “shapes like
full-blown
roses/stained and lost throughout the ages.”
At the beginning of the poem, the speaker, solitary and introspective,
observes
with cool detachment her fish “beside the boat/half out of water.” While the
fish is
initially only partly visible, he soon emerges for the full scrutiny of the
speaker and her
reader. Though “tremendous” and “of a grunting weight,” the fish remains
passive and
resigned; unresponsive to her gaze, the fish becomes a spectacle that she
may probe and
interrogate. She describes each crevice of his body, providing a detailed
inventory of
each physical attribute:
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 peony.
Suddenly viewing the copious hooks in the fish’s mouth, his gruesome lip
“grim,
wet, and weaponlike,” the speaker is filled with admiration—and then an
overwhelming
sense of personal triumph. She realizes her unprecedented success: “I stared
and
stared/and victory filled up/the little rented boat.”
It is her vivid imagination that allows her to confront the fish’s grizzly visage,
punctured with five hooks and sundry broken fish-lines. Each thread of line
suggests also
the narrative “threads” of the past, each one another story of anguish. The
speaker casts
the grim mementos as “medals with their ribbons/frayed and waving,/a five-
haired beard
of wisdom.” She boldly holds the fish where he is “breathing in/the terrible
oxygen,” but
once she does so is free to release him.
Bishop evokes the speaker’s moment of victory over both the fish and the
repressed “threads” he symbolizes—events that are left unexplained in the
poem—in the
patterns made by the oil in the water, an unlikely image of beauty. Yet it is in
this oil that
the speaker sees a rainbow, also the subject of her final exaltation at the end
of the poem.
“The Fish” concludes on a note of bittersweet celebration as the speaker
drops the
fish back into the water; filled with oil that is both toxic and beautiful, it
suggests a world
that is dangerous as well as rich in possibility. The fish, like the speaker,
survives in such
a world of threat. Her concluding cry—“rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!—is an
insistence on
the ability to create as a means to endure.

The fisher is experienced, knowing the ailments of the fish, the

internal parts of the fish, the parts of the boat. Perhaps the fisher is
using a little, rented boat because she (or "he" if Bishop decided to
make her narrator male) is older and no longer has the boat she
once used frequently. Perhaps she identifies with the old fish
because she, too, is old. A key point is that the fish did not fight,
although we later learn that he's fought hard before. The fisher's
conscience is conflicted, and she can't decide whether to throw the
fish back or keep it, so she lets it dangle beside the boat while she
decides. She studies the fish, even looking into his eyes, as she tries
to make her decision. She set out to catch a fish, and has caught a
"tremendous" one -- keep it. But he didn't even put up a fight and
he's old and he looks grotesque and diseased -- throw it back. But
the insides would make good eating -- keep it. But he's already been
through so much and fought so hard to keep himself alive -- throw it
back. But while others failed to catch this fish, I have attained
"victory" -- keep it. The fisher gets help in making her decision when
she sees the growing oil rainbow. The rainbow is symbolic of the
rainbow that God put in the sky after Noah's Ark (another "boat")
reached safety, and the animals and people on board were saved.
Perhaps this elderly fisher hopes that if she shows mercy towards
this fish, she, too, will be shown mercy.
The Fish
Elizabeth Bishop's
poem, The Fish, incorporates ***** very interesting message ***** its *****. Thus, the frame of the poem is *****
around a single, ***** metaphorical event: the speaker describes a brief moment of *****. The ***** and the event are
symbolical ***** they ***** a significant morale. *****, the speaker proceeds to describe ***** detail the body ***** her
*****, where ***** marks of the ***** lines have been inscribed. What is interesting is the ***** that ***** contemplation
with its insistence on details leads to a ***** realization ***** the ***** meaning of her act. The poem alludes therefore
to ***** importance of life ***** the right of ***** to ***** it. The fishing line marks inscribed on the body of the ***** are
a symbol of its fight with *****. As ***** hunted *****, the fish has escaped death ***** number ***** times, but breaking
*****. Not accidentally, the word 'wisdom' is used ***** depict the fish. *****, the speaker seems to establish a certain
eye-contact with ***** fish and thus observes that her eyes are similar to those of the fish. Upon looking at these
marks ***** its body, the ***** of the poem suddenly shifts to a different state of mind. The marks ***** to ***** her *****
the power of a revelation. *****, the right to live wins the victory over the initial act of murder. The images ***** very
telling, as ***** light ***** reflection seem to propagate from one line to another, ***** everything is a rainbow: "from
the pool of bilge/ where oil had spread a rainbow/ around the ***** engine/ ***** the bailer rusted orange,/ the *****
thwarts,/ ***** oarlocks ***** their *****,/ the gunnels--until everything/ was rainbow, *****, rainbow!/ ***** I ***** the fish
go."(Bishop) The rainbow ***** a very symbolical image, as ***** has ***** been the equivalent of peace. As the sign
of the great covenant, the rainbow is used here to represent the importance of life and the ***** of good over *****.
Through a simple event of ***** thus, the author represents the ***** of murder and importance of life.
Works *****

Bishop, Elizabeth. "The Fish." Poem Hunter.

In life we come across things that sometimes remind us of ourselves and make us reflect upon our life's. These
things can be small or big. In the poem The Fish by Elizabeth Bishop the main character, the fishermen came

across one of these things. The thing was a fish. The fish had gone through visible obstacles in life, which related to
the fishermen.

The older people are the more experienced they are in life. For people the visibility of being older and experienced is
having wrinkled skin and grey hair. For a fish the signs of aging are in their lips. Their lips are important because of all
the hooks that they may have caught on in their life. The lips of the fish in the poem reveal "hung five old pieces of
fish-line"(51).Each mark from the hooks represents an achievement in the fishes life by overcoming the hooks. In life
people overcome obstacles just like how fish overcome hooks. They may have scars remaining as reminders,
humans and fish.

With age comes wisdom and understanding because of everything that age has brought to someone. The fish had "a
five-haired beard of wisdom"(64). We relate beards with being older. The fish has a beard of hooks. Each time the
fish escaped a fisherman's net or line, the fish escaped. By escaping the capture marked in the beard of hooks the
fish has wisdom. The fisherman notices this and related this to himself being older and wiser. Seeing how close the
fish reflects the fishermen himself he releases the fish back into the water. Letting the older wise fish live to see
another day.

Oil spills often have a tint of rainbow coloring in the light. In the poem the fishermen exclaims "rainbow, rainbow,
rainbow!"(74). The fishermen spots the rainbow reflection from the spill around the engine. Rainbows come out also
after rain symbolizing renewal and cleansing of nature. The fishermen gave life back to the fish and a renewal of
wisdom when he released it back into the water. The fishermen may have thought back to a time when he was given
a chance to start over fresh.
Small as the fish may have been compared to the fishermen it still sparked a relation to the fishermen. The fishermen
related to the fish he caught with the characteristics of age, hardship, and renewal. Because of

this, the fishermen released the fish and it continued to live on.