unfoldingOne Art

After quick scan of the poem "One Art", the reader should recognize the poem as having the closed form. The poem is regular, symmetrical, and falls into stanzas. The first five stanzas have three lines and the last stanza contains four lines. A longer peruse of "One Art" will help the reader identify the villanelle form. The first line of the poem is repeated in the 2nd, 4th and 6th stanzas, while the last word …

…art of loss mastered? Bishop answers this question with two words "(Write it!)" (Line 19). Perhaps Bishop is telling the reader how to master the art of loss. Writing something down is a great way to remember things. People keep organizers with notes and dates every day. So maybe losing something just appears to be a disaster (line 19). As long as a memory, experience or place is written down the art of loss can be mastered.