Kate O’Reilly
2006
Exam Q
“Reading the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop”
Write out the text of the talk you would give to your class in response to the
above title. The following must be included;
 Your reaction to her themes or subject matter
 What you personally found interesting in her style of writing
Fellow classmates, I am here today to discuss my response to the incredibly
gifted poet, Elizabeth Bishop. Anyone who has studied her, would have to agree
with me when I say she a poet of great talent and emotion. It is a hallmark of
Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry that she writes of such past pain without pathos and
with great honesty. Her poems present accounts of events bordering surreal and
deal with emotions that these memories engender. Her poetry has left a lasting
impression on me, through her thought evoking themes, poetic flare and the
honesty and cander of her work. Poems like; “Sestina”, “The Bight”, ”First
Death in Nova Scotia”, “The Prodigal” and “The Filling Station” are ones that
truly left a lasting impact on me.
Insecurity is something that in her childhood, Bishop was accustomed to.
She describes painful childhood memories in her poetry, a theme in which
invited me to become both emotive and moved. In “First Death in Nova Scotia”,
from a child’s perspective, Bishop expresses her first encounter with death, and
in attempting to understand the reality she makes confused and extraordinary
and sometimes childlike connections, for example “Jack Frost”. Bishop links
death with adults in the poem, an aspect of the poem atypical, wouldn’t you
agree? She devotes a stanza to talking about a stuffed “loon” which her uncle
shot and her mother lifts her to look into the coffin. This is one of the only
mentions of her mother we have, and I think it is striking that she is very much
entwined with the death of “Little Arthur”. As a child, Bishop was certainly
gifted, with her intuitive mind and a gentle sensitive soul.
From the age of six, Bishop was shifted from grandparents to aunts, and
never felt a sense of belonging or of having a home. From this, it is easy to
understand that out of this came a strong theme for a search for identity and
family stability in her poetry. It is clearly evident in “The Bight” and “The Filling
Station”. In “The Bight” she’s attempting to comprehend her life and find a
sense of belonging. “Like torn up unanswered letters, The bight is littered with
Kate O’Reilly
2006
Exam Q
old correspondences” it can be gathered from this description of her life, she’s
trying to find answers, meaning and herself. In “The Filling Station” she shows
her search for family stability. Although there is no female presence of a mother
in the poem, there is a constant reminder for the need for one, which can be
linked to Bishop’s desire for a maternal influence in her youth. The need for a
mother in this poem is emphasized as the sons and father are present, yet are
presented as unsuitable for maintaining a suitable environment, seen in such
details as when it is declared “someone waters the plant”. She brings the female
perspective in, in order to restore the chaos from the males.
In reading the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, it is impossible not to notice the
level of precision and her poetic flare in her work, an attractive feature that
nearly demands your attention. A feature that I found truly interesting in her
style of writing was her vivid imagery and descriptive details which are conveyed
in all her poems through a series of beautifully evoked word pictures. This is
most noted in my opinion in “The Prodigal” where the effects of alcohol can be
clearly pictured. “His shuddering insights”, “sickening” and “odour” all affects of
alcoholism that can be easily pictured in the readers mind. I found this to have a
particular impact on me because having worked behind a bar, I felt the images
were all the more realistic because I was accustomed to seeing people in these
states.
Additionally, another aspect of her writing that I found interesting was
the form of her writing. None of her poems are written in the same form that I
have studied, all are different thus making Bishop’s poetry individual and stand
out from all the others. “Sestina” possibly Bishop’s most stylized poem, is
written in the form of a sestina. I really found this interesting because I’d never
come across this before and I felt it was well suited for this poem’s subjects that
required intense observation. I personally found this feature of style captivating
and interesting.
Furthermore, I found the honesty and cander of her writing very moving
and delightful. The sheer honesty can be seen evidently in “The Bight”. She
speaks so openly and honestly about the struggles and obstacles of life, “all the
untidy activities continue, awful but cheerful”, this is Bishop’s summation of life;
Kate O’Reilly
2006
Exam Q
life can be awful but also cheerful and the chaos and mess are necessary to
move on.
Bishop is connected to her poetry as many parts as her poetry allude to
events in her life. Her style adds to the capacity of her poetry, with the
impressive images and descriptive language, as well her sheer honesty. In
addition, her poetry is ever changing, be it in themes, moods or form, meaning
that each poem offers a different, life changing experience. Bishop once said,
“All my life I have lived and behaved very much like sandpaper, just running
down the edges of different countries and continents, looking for something”.
For me, this sums up Bishop, her poetry and her ideas perfectly. It highlights her
theme of a search for identity and stability and her talent as a poet but most
importantly that her childhood was rough, to be soothed only by words. In this, I
feel Bishop recognises and understands the power of words, and through her
deeply emotive poetry, have had a deep and profound impact on me which I
endeavour you all to experience.
Teachers Comment and Grade;
Very good personal engagement with the question, well done… 80%