The Fish

The Fish
Many literary devices are used in the poem “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop that help convey the author’s meaning. “The Fish” is about a person who rents a boat, goes out fishing, and catches a fish. The poem is based mostly on observations made about the fish. The author uses imagery, figurative language, and unusual diction to present the reader with a picture of the events that are taking place. Overall, using literary devices, the author leaves the reader with an enriched understanding of fish.
Much of the poem “The Fish” revolves around imagery. The author presents rich description that appeals to the reader’s senses and gives them an elevated understanding of what is happening. For example, in lines 15 through 19, the author says, “He was speckled with barnacles, fine rosettes of lime, and infested with tiny white sea – lice, and underneath two or three rags of green hung down.” These lines appeal to the reader’s sense of sight. Through...