Five Flights Up

“Five Flights Up” is an example of free verse since it’s free of meter or rhyme, which is a big reason why the poem has somewhat of a zigzag form. With free verse, Bishop has the liberty to make her lines as long or short as she wants. Thus, Line 1 is only two words, while Line 2 stretches to eight words. The stanza length doesn’t abide by a predictable pattern either. Stanza 1 is nine lines, Stanza 2 is five lines (a quintet), and Stanzas 3 and 4 are six lives (sestets).

Unlike the owner, the poem doesn’t have a “stern” (Line 16) shape. Bishop doesn’t try to force her poem into a tidy or strict configuration. The poem reflects the values of the speaker, who questions the owner and sides with the animals, time, and nature. Similar to the morning, the poem’s shape is “ponderous” (Line 10)—it’s somewhat chunky and long winded. Like the dog, the poem’s shape “bounces cheerfully up and down” (Line 19) at the parts it switches from a long line to a short line or vice-versa.

In “Five Flights Up,” one of the main messages is that a person or creature shouldn’t impose themselves on time; they should let night, day, and nature take care of things.