Elizabeth Bishop

Question 1

“Like medals…”

Answer 1

Frayed and Wavering, a five-haired beard of wisdom

The Fish - Simile, hooks as medals of survival of battles

Question 2

“Until everything was…”

Answer 2

Rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!

The Fish - at the end of the poem believes everything is great after seeing how wonderful the fish is

Question 3

“Oh…”

Answer 3

But it is dirty!

Filling Station - double take of disgust, reassuring herself it is dirty in fact

Question 4

“Why the…”

Answer 4

Extraneous plant?

Filling Station - Why is there a plant a greasy filling station

Question 5

“Somebody waters…”

Answer 5

The plant.

Filling Station -
Somebody still cares for it

Question 6

“Think of…”

Answer 6

The long trip home

Questions of Travel - against travel

Question 7

“The sad, two-noted…”

Answer 7

Wooden tune of disparate wooden clogs (in another country the clogs would all be tested)

Questions of Travel - If she went to a different country she wouldn’t have gotten this experience

Question 8

“Babies, …”

Answer 8

With pointed heads wound round and round with string

In the Waiting Room - Bishop describes horrifying and vivid imagery of other distant humans

Question 9

“Why I should be my aunt, me,…”

Answer 9

Or anyone?

In the Waiting Room - Identity crisis