The Fish

“The Fish” is written in free verse, without a set meter and rhyme. The poem’s rhythm is kept fairly regular, however, by the amount of stressed syllables in each line, usually two or three. This keeps the 76 lines of the poem short and ensures that there is some enjambment, which is when a line break in verse does not conform to where the natural syntactical pause would fall. In “The Fish,” this helps emphasize certain words while avoiding the monotony of each line ending with a punctuated pause. An example of enjambment occurs in lines 43-44, where the word “tipping” literally tips the reader to the next line of text:

It was more like the tipping

of an object toward the light.”

The use of figurative language to create striking images and set a mood is an important poetic device, and Bishop employs it widely in “The Fish.” Imagery includes not only the pictures and visuals that a poet creates with words, but any description which carries sensory weight and appeals not only to sight but to smell, touch, sound, and taste.