elizabeth bishop

The Catch of a Lifetime Andrienne Rich once said, “I am an instrument in the shape of a woman trying to translate pulsations into images.” Elizabeth Bishop applies Rich’s quote in the poem “The Fish.” The poem tells about a situation where Bishop catches an unattractive fish. As she studies the fish closer, Bishop notices that the fish has special characteristics. These features slowly carry the fish from an unworthy catch to a great …

…always as they seem. Bishop portrays this theme by the use of imagery. With colors, Bishop exposes the fish’s real character. She goes through a process where she realizes that it is more important to save the memory of her great catch than to keep the fish as a physical trophy. Her symbolic realization of the fish’s important past help Ms. Bishop change her feelings of criticism to a genuine sentiment of admiration.