Elizabeth Bishop Quotes

Question 1

The Fish: Shows the fish as a veteran. (2)

Answer 1

“He hung a grunting weight.”

“battered and venerable.”

Question 2

The Fish: Tone: Disappointment.

Answer 2

“But not to return my stare.”

Question 3

The Fish: Adversity. (3)

Answer 3

“Five big hooks.”
“Five old pieces of fish line.”
“A five-haired beard of wisdom.”

Question 4

The Fish: Moment of awareness. (2)

Answer 4

“I stared and stared.”

“And I let the fish go.”

Question 5

The Fish: Tone: Joy

Answer 5

“Rainbow, rainbow, rainbow.”

Question 6

First Death: intense description (3). Metaphors.

Answer 6

“Marble-topped table.” ; “white frozen lake.”

“A little frosted cake.”

Question 7

First Death: Childhood Grief (2) Alliteration and similes.

Answer 7

“Cold and caressable.”

“White, like a doll.”

Question 8

First Death: Permanence of Death (2)

Answer 8

“Left him white forever.”

“In the cold, cold parlor.”

Question 9

First Death: Jack Frost allusion.

Answer 9

“Jack Frost had started to paint him.”

Question 10

The Prodigal: Synaesthesia/personification and in-depth description. (2)

Answer 10

“Brown enormous odor he lived by.”

“With it’s breathing and thick hair.”

Question 11

The Prodigal: Personal experiences. Overcoming adversity. (3)

Answer 11

“He hid the pints behind a two-by-four”
“Burning puddles seemed to reassure”
“He almost might endure.”

Question 12

The Prodigal: Confronts his problems. (3)

Answer 12

“Beyond his control.”
“Uncertain staggering flight.”
“Make his mind up to go home.”

Question 13

Sestina: Pathetic fallacy for intensity of feeling.

Answer 13

“September rain falls on the house.”

Question 14

Sestina: Intensity of feeling. (3)

Answer 14

“Birdlike, the almanac hovers half open above the child.” (Fear)
“Teacup full of dark brown tears.” (Grief)
“To hide her tears.”

Question 15

Sestina: Innocence of a child. (2)

Answer 15

“‘It was to be’ says the Marvel stove.”

“The child draws a rigid house.”

Question 16

Sestina: Reflection of grief on to objects. (2)

Answer 16

“Teakettle’s small hard tears dance like mad on the hot black stove.”

“A man with buttons like tears.”

Question 17

The Fish: In-depth description. Tone: Matter of fact. (2)

Answer 17

“Coarse white flesh packed in like feathers.”

“Dramatic reds and blacks.”

Question 18

The Fish: tone of pride.

Answer 18

“I caught a tremendous fish.”

Question 18

Filling Station: In-depth description. (7)

Answer 18

“Oh, but it is dirty!”
“Oil-soaked, oil permeated.”
“Black translucency.”
“Several quick and saucy and greasy sons.”
“Impregnated wickerwork.”
“Dim doily.”
“Big hirsute begonia.”

Question 18

Filling Station: Anaphora and rhetorical q’s and sibilance. (5)

Answer 18

“Why the extraneous plant?”
“Why the taboret?”
“Somebody waters the plant.”
“Somebody loves us all.”
“Softly say; ESSO-SO-SO-SO

Question 18

In the Waiting Room: Interesting q’s. (3)

Answer 18

Fundamentally unanswerable questions.
“Why should I be my aunt, or me, or anyone?”
“What it was I was?”
“How had I come to be here?”

Question 18

In the Waiting Room: Unique Style (3)

Answer 18

Monosyllabic childish language.
“Dark.”
“Pain”
“Big black wave.”

Question 19

In the waiting room: Imagery and emotion. Deeply personal. (5)

Answer 19

“Necks wound round and round with wire like necks of light bulbs.”
“Falling off.” “Into cold, blue-black space.”
“Sliding beneath a big black wave.”
“It was still the fifth of February, 1918.”