"I caught a tremendous fish" is the first line in Bishop's poem The Fish, and I wondered where this statement was going to take me. It felt like I stand at the entrance of a labyrinth that later unveiled elements of beauty and ugly. In contrast to the beginning, the poem ends with the conclusion "And I let the fish go" which represents a strong decision; and if you only read those two lines you understand that so much had happened in between. What kind of struggle and what revelatory moments the speaker had in order to come to that conclusion?
The beginning and the ending verses are very simplistic statements yet powerful; but the whole poem is very detailed and complex spattered with strong symbols where colors accentuates the abundant imagery (e.g."the dramatic reds and blacks" ; "rags of green weed" ; "pink swim-bladder"). I like how the poet used the "aesthetic of the ugly", two antonym terms which show the beautiful side of something disgusting, ugly. (e.g. "he was speckled with barnacles/fine rosettes of lime"). But isn't it true that we can find beauty in ugly things, we can find positive in terrible experiences, and we can find good in bad people?
The fish was sacred to the Greco-Roman mythology having the symbolic meaning of change and transformation. In Buddhism, it symbolizes happiness and freedom. We can find these symbolic meanings in the poem. The speaker releases the fish in the end, the gesture representing freedom. And we can see the transformation from the beginning of the poem where the speaker was heavy, dark and burdened to the end where "everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow".
The beginning and the ending verses are very simplistic statements yet powerful; but the whole poem is very detailed and complex spattered with strong symbols where colors accentuates the abundant imagery (e.g."the dramatic reds and blacks" ; "rags of green weed" ; "pink swim-bladder"). I like how the poet used the "aesthetic of the ugly", two antonym terms which show the beautiful side of something disgusting, ugly. (e.g. "he was speckled with barnacles/fine rosettes of lime"). But isn't it true that we can find beauty in ugly things, we can find positive in terrible experiences, and we can find good in bad people?
The fish was sacred to the Greco-Roman mythology having the symbolic meaning of change and transformation. In Buddhism, it symbolizes happiness and freedom. We can find these symbolic meanings in the poem. The speaker releases the fish in the end, the gesture representing freedom. And we can see the transformation from the beginning of the poem where the speaker was heavy, dark and burdened to the end where "everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow".
I agree with what you're saying. I like how in depth you went in describing the imagery and word play throughout the piece. I also like how you brought Greco-Roman mythology, as well as buddhist beliefs, into the mix by saying what a fish symbolizes in those particular cultures..
ReplyDeleteI also felt the beginning was very interesting i really didn't know what to think at first, to me it seemed her words were very in depth in meaning. I really like that about the poem. you also made a very good point about the symbols which she used through out the poem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your personal insights on this poem. It was also very refreshing to read about what the fish symbolized in the Greco-Roman Mythology scene as well as in buddhism. It opened my views on the poem. I think it's always good to see what other people are thinking because it opens up the possibilities for understanding the same poem in a different way. Thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteThis transformation of the speaker is an interesting angle--but how do we get from A to B, looking closely at the details of the poem--how do you track this change? This change may be a moment of epiphany, esp. clear at the end, but hinted at by earlier imagery (again, read for the patterns), but of what, exactly? Also, what are the details that suggest the speaker is "dark, heavy,burdened"? burdened in what way?
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with the imagery related to the fish,such as different interpretations in various cultures,But do you believe the fish itself is a symbol for the man in pursuit of it's chase...Awesome review tho!
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