The poem, “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop makes for an incredibly thought-provoking poem because the reader discovers important elements and special characteristics about the fish as the speaker does. This poem seems so minimal when first reading it, but is in fact very complex and a reader can gather a lot from this poem and take away a lot from reading it. It is written entirely in free verse and does not stick to a literary known poem style such as a sonnet or ballad. The events occurring throughout the poem happen in a matter of minutes. Yet with the seemingly dull action of catching and releasing the fish, Bishop constructs a complex question on the nature of power. She does this by bringing in multiple literary elements to tell the fisherman’s story. Bishop uses elements such as imagery, themes, metaphors, and similes. All of these help the fisherman tell his story and bring it to life.

Right off the bat, readers can infer that the speaker of this poem is a fisherman and he is on a body of water, on a boat, fishing. An interesting feature of this poem and about the speaker of the poem is that he uses imagery throughout the entire poem to help the reader understand more about the fish and his appreciation for the fish. The imagery used by the speaker also helps to paint a better picture of what the fish is like and the relationship between the fish and the fisherman. “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” (Lines 27-33). During this part of the poem, the speaker starts to notice the colors of the fish and compares parts of the fish to flowers, such as a peony. Since the speaker is using such vivid imagery, it helps the readers to start to see the beauty develop. For example, during the beginning of the poem, the speaker uses such unpleasant words to describe the fish, such as “battered” (8), and “homely” (9), and uses phrases like “his brown skin hung in strips like ancient wallpaper” (10-11). The speaker clearly has not developed a relationship yet with the fish or seen what he has gone through. But in a sudden moment, the narrator clearly reacts to this fish as an equal to an equal, a creature whose eyes he looks into. The reader is told that the fish’s eyes are “far larger than mine” (Line 35), meaning that the fish has larger eyes than that of the narrator. The speaker also says that the fish’s eyes are “shallower, and yellowed” (36). The most personal communication with another person often takes place through the eyes, so this contact with the fisherman and fish is extremely important and crucial to the ultimate choice of the fisherman. The eye contact made between the fisherman and the fish shows the connection between the two and the intimacy in their relationship. As the poem progresses, the beauty starts to be revealed to the speaker and the relationship is better built amongst them. Towards the end of the poem when the speaker starts to contemplate letting the fish go, he says “Like medals with their ribbons frayed and wavering, a five haired beard of wisdom trailing from his aching jaw” (61-64). He starts to see what the fish has been through and develops a connection with the fish. During the last few lines of the poem, the speaker starts to stare at the battered fish, and he suddenly has a shift in feelings towards the fish. He no longer thinks of him as being a meal and wanting to eat him, but feels sympathy and maybe even some pity for the fish.  He starts to gain respect for the fish and sees the beauty in him. This realization causes the speakers decision: “And I let the fish go” (76). The speaker unhooks the fish from his line and releases him back into the water. In this moment the speaker discovered a moment of triumph as he released the fish back into the water, maybe for another fisherman to one day discover and feel the same triumph he himself felt in doing what he did for the fish.  

Another element that the speaker uses while telling this story, besides imagery, is the use of metaphors and similes. Multiple metaphors and similes are used throughout the poem, mainly to call attention to the beauty of the fish. The first example of a simile the speaker uses is talking about his skin when he states that “his brown skin hung in strips like ancient wallpaper”(10-11). The speaker then compares the fish’s scales to “full-blown roses” (14). This indicates that although the fish that he caught may not fit the mainstream description of beauty, it still has beauty in an antiquated type of way. The speaker continues to build on the theme when he speaks about how the “coarse white flesh” (27) is like “feathers” (28). These words that the speaker uses allows for the fish to change into something commonly viewed as beautiful. The last simile used really adds the finishing touch to his story with the fish, which is the human bond. In saying that the fish-line is like “medals with their ribbons” (61) the connection between the fish and something that is valued by humans completes the stages and change of the fish’s beauty. 

One last element that is incorporated into the poem by the speaker is the use of themes. The story has two central themes in it. One of the themes shown throughout is respect. In the beginning, it is clear the speaker can already tell that the fish is worthy of respect. As the story continues, the speaker admires the fish and all of the qualities that it possesses. It seems as if he is just curious about the fish but is later revealed that he does in fact admire him. Towards the end of the poem, the words “medals” (61) and “wisdom” (63) really show the respect the speaker has towards the fish. The speaker makes is sound like he is talking about a decorated war hero, when in reality he is really just describing the fish. Another theme that ties the whole story together is expectation vs. the outcome. Readers can assume that the fisherman wants to catch a fish or else why would he be fishing in the first place. When the fisherman finally did catch at a fish, it didn’t seem to be as fulfilling as he expected it to be. Because of the long consideration of the fish and what to do with him, it seems that it was a different experience than what he thought it would be. This shows that there is a difference between how the speaker thought he would react to the situation and feel about it, and how it actually happened. 

All of the elements that the speaker uses to tell his story, like imagery, themes, metaphors and similes, all certainly help to bring this story to life and make it seem real. These elements put meaning behind the story and really help the reader to visualize and understand what is going on in the situation and what is going on in the fisherman’s head. Without the use of imagery, it would be hard to tell what the fish looks like and the details of it. Without the use of metaphors and similes, it would be hard for a reader to understand the beauty of the fish and the respect that the speaker has for the fish. And without the use of two major themes throughout the poem, it would be hard to connect the beginning and the end of the story. Each of these elements plays a crucial role in helping the speaker develop his story and help the reader to better understand what he himself is going through. 
