The Fish

I found it interesting how Elizabeth Bishop uses vivid imagery to invoke feelings in the reader while reading her poem, "The Fish." Stating that the fish had a weapon-like mouth gave me a feeling of triumph for the fish, it made me feel that the fish in the poem was a strong fighter and unable to be caught. Stating that the fish was covered in sea lice, green weeds and barnacles gave me the image that the fish was very old - since it had been around long enough for all those things to grow on its scales. The fish's eyes (described as yellowed, scratched isinglass, and shallow) led me to understand that the fish had given up with fighting, it had a hard life and now was ready to give up since it did not have the energy to look back into the speaker's (assumed to be a fisherman/woman) eyes. At the end of the story the speaker let the fish go - this action gave me the feeling of accomplishment, understanding and sympathy. Sympathy because the speaker understands the strugglesome life the fish has had; accomplishment because the speaker lets the fish go because of his/her understanding of the fish's hard life.