The Goose Fish

“The Goose Fish” is a lyric poem by American poet Howard Nemerov. It was published in Nemerov’s third collection, The Salt Garden, in 1955. The poem is about two lovers on a shore at night who feel guilty about their love. Their discovery on the shore of a hideous dead goose fish serves as a symbol of both their guilt and their absolution. The poem has a wry humor that is typical of Nemerov’s work, as is the rather pessimistic view of life presented, in which love is undermined by some unknown element.

Poet Biography

Howard Nemerov was born on March 1, 1920, in New York City. He was the eldest of three children born to David Nemerov and Gertrude Russek. The family was of Russian Jewish ethnicity. Nemerov’s parents were well-off, and he attended the Society for Ethical Culture’s Fieldston School, graduating in 1937. He then attended Harvard University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1941. During World War II, Nemerov was a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force and later the U.S. Army Air Forces, where he attained the rank of first lieutenant. In 1944, Nemerov married Margaret Russell, and they would have three children.