Understanding "The Fish"

College prof gives a line-by-line tour of the poem

[@RH-pz1du]

Thank you, it was a pleasure to hear your reading and appreciated and insightful comments!
I have wondered why this poem is so powerful -- not only due to how
gorgeous and crisp its descriptions are - that would not be enough to move me to tears as this does. I realize now that it is because it is more than the sum of its parts, precisely because it finds the fish to be so, as well.
-the fisherman was familiar with the edible flesh; her ability to picture it as clearly as his outside shows she's caught, gutted and consumed fish before; and yet she said nothing of the taste or her hunger. These are features no more importantly than its other features; in fact less so, as they are less expressive of the essential nurture. As an attribute of the fish district from her desires, the flesh belongs to the fish, not to her.
-the tilt of the eye not to her, in no relation to her and not attempting any connection, shows the fish to be without personal characteristics of a human - and so we'd expect its value to diminish in our regard. But look! It is not blind or purposeless, it tilts as to the light. It has an existence that finds its meaning distinct from her, not needing her; within its sphere, almost a prayer for recommunion with nature. It is recognized as more valuable in this mystery of not needing her at all; of drawing its life from another even more powerful source than man.
-the oil spread a rainbow near the engine, but the rainbow itself kept spreading - not from the oil, from the victory [you made a small error in your description there, just a slip of the tongue]. Here we see how the physicals features of the experience are springboards into the spiritual reality which leaps from them in glory, which has lain within and around them all along, unrecognized. The rainbow in the oil takes on a metaphysical reality, transcending the waste film of oil, to utterly full the boat and her soul. It is something she glimpses in the oil film which then takes on its own life beyond the oil, becoming the expression of not only her victory but also of the victory of life itself, which exists beyond her and the boat, a victory of much greater worth than a trophy of her prowess (pride, an appetite of the soul) or fish flesh (the appetite of the body). Her spirit finds this victory: there is a spiritual reality and value behind these appetites, and she has overcome them in a non-sensory, non-rational moment of numenal knowing - this being is beautiful and intrinsically valuable more than its parts.

[@jurassiccraft883]

Hi. thank you so much for this video, I’ve used it to help me make a essay plan for my exam. I’ve been struggling to work out a good way of doing a critical writing plan but this video has helped manage to keep it vague enough that it could fit many questions but clear enough that it’s easy to follow. I probably wouldn’t have had a chance to pass my critical writing of it wasn’t for this video so thank you.

[@mariavargas1158]

the way you explain the poems makes me live and be part of
the poems thank you

[@oliviaah1563]

You’re the only person on TH-cam who explains these poems so right ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I love listening to you talk

[@DarylDallas]

love this poem. impactful imagery. I dare to say that it is one of my favorites now also.

[@LiteraryGladiators]

Very nice video! It's nice to see you are back with some new material. My American Literature instructor is an enthusiast for Elizabeth Bishop and had her on the curriculum. I must agree that she is a phenomenal poet, especially since her poetry speaks for itself. I saw "The Fish" as beginning and ending in moments of reality, but the close examination that made up everything in between felt like this ecstatic moment to which life was about nothing but the fish. I suppose that is what poetry is meant to be. We plan to cover at least one poem by Elizabeth Bishop some time in the near future. -Josh

[@kobey3044]

Thank You. Rebecca. I love this Poem too.

[@kila4230]

You are saving my education 💖💖

[@jocelynpimentel1428]

Bless this channel

[@justinquinn3258]

I’m reading The Anthologist, by Nicholas Baker and he says you must hear it read by the author, which I did and enjoyed it very much. I then decided to stay awhile and listen to your examination of the poem. Thank you, I was enlightened!

[@SixMinuteScholar]

How cool! I would love to hear Elizabeth Bishop read it. I will look for that! Thanks.

[@zariawebb-atkinson1976]

Thank you so much for explaining this! It made it very easy to complete my assignment for my ap lit class; it was hard to really understand the story when I first right it.

[@alejandrovillegas2517]

LOL i’m in the same boat as you. I just restarted my entire assignment because i could not understand my first poem.

[@alechershman8322]

Interesting that most folks read this poem so literally and attribute agency to our speaker at the end-willfully letting the fish go-when we have metaphors and clues that belie this volitional reading: victory “filling up” the boat, the uncanny foreshadowing of the five other snapped lines in his jaw, the Biblical gesture of rainbow rainbow rainbow to the covenant and *flood*. Just as with One Art, there is dramaturgical irony afoot here wherein we are not meant to take the speakers account at such face value. This is a classic Bishop strategy to suddenly turn her speakers into stoic tragic heroines at the end. Don’t be fooled folks, at the end of this poem the boat has sunk!

[@1cathexis]

Glad you did this work. You could be seen as talking down to your audience but I think you're doing society a favor. Let us hope that soon all those of modern society will rebuke your opinion because they've grown thoughtful and given to analysis themselves - and so are thinking for themselves. They will argue that your interpretations pale in comparison to theirs. They will complain that they missed all of last night's "American Idol" because they had to consider your words carefully before deciding to refute you. Then you will have succeeded and we can both be happy about that.

[@robert4682]

This has nothing to do with the purpose of this video, but I just want to comment that I like what you've done with your hair.

[@SixMinuteScholar]

Robert Angeles Thanks! I'm being bold and going gray. :-)

[@trysometruth]

SixMinuteScholar Be bold! You look quite youthful!!

[@saltedcaramel9362]

+SixMinuteScholar Woah . . . that happened quickly. You look so young.

[@SixMinuteScholar]

Salted Caramel Yeah, I stopped dying my hair. I'm happy with it, though!

[@vibrantreadings6742]

Beautiful description. Congrats!

[@SixMinuteScholar]

ARUN PRASAD.R Thanks. :-)

[@morrisheinersz2005]

I thought I understood it in grammar school. The fish has been defeated, the angler is larger and better armed, and furthermore, does not need to take the fish's life. The angler's conscience doesn't 'get the better of', but rather, inspires the angler and makes the angler a better person. he angler realizes the fish is not in his prime, and W the angler's conscience takes control of his behavior. He frees the fish. It really is one of the only decent things to do

[@vibrantreadings6742]

Listening once more for my class, again😊

[@iskcal3757]

Could you please do filling station and the prodigal by Elizabeth Bishop as well

[@jaelyncollins1548]

You are awesome

[@bobbye4731]

Hi Professor, I need a 5 source annotated bibliography for The Fish. I'm so confused as to which sources I should select. I submitted an initial bibliography but my professor said that I selected fishing topics which aren't related. I'm confused.

[@samthesnowman666]

aged 30 years in one year XD

[@daisyabey6161]

I wish I had taught Bishop

[@seensaki8501]

Don't you think the previous fishermen let him go because they reached to that point she did?
And thx for all your videos dear🙇

[@InfiniteTony]

What happened to your hair in just 4 months? 🤔 went from a brunette to white hair..

[@bethennysluannmonologue]

maybe she was dying the grey previously and stopped, regardless who cares??

[@InfiniteTony]

@@bethennysluannmonologue I do lmao, thanks for responding to my 1 yr old comment though. 😅👍

[@abooswalehmosafeer173]

most edifying..

[@jeauseradmin]

Can you do Insomnia by Elizabeth Bishop? Pretty Please

[@SixMinuteScholar]

J Q An Interesting poem! I just read it, and I see how the speaker is seeing nighttime as an alternate reality in which everything is opposite. The sad line at the end shows that the "you" person does not, in fact, love her. She only wishes for that love. :-( This would be a good poem to do a video on. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@jeauseradmin]

SixMinuteScholar Thanks for answering me... you are so amazing! English is my second language so I am loving discovering these incredible poems. Can you help me to understand the line of that poem that says: "so wrap up care in a cobweb and drop it down the well". Thanks you so much for the beautiful channel that you have.

[@hbcmaria914]

OMG you changed your hair! Didn't even recognize you! lol