Poetry: The Fish

Poetry: July 15, 2026 Issue [#13844]


 


The Fish
       Editor: b.meridith
                   More Newsletters By This Editor  


Table of Contents
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions


About This Newsletter
According to Wikipedia, Poetry (from the Greek word poiesis, "making") is a form of literary art that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, literal or surface-level meanings. Thank you for reading this NL.

Letter from the editor
If you want to move your readers, you don't need fancy, dramatic language skills. You just need to look closer at the world around you. A masterclass in this technique is demonstrated in Elizabeth Bishop’s famous poem, "The Fish."

Elizabeth Bishop published “The Fish” in 1946 in her first collection of poetry, North & South. Ten years later, it was released in North & south: a cold spring with 18 more poems and she won Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. It’s been called a masterwork of observational clarity, and The Fish has been hailed as a key example of what Bishop does best: Imagery.

Here is how she does it, and how you can use her secrets in your own writing.

Technique 1: Microscopic Observation
The author catches a huge fish, but instead of just saying "it looked old," she zooms in like a camera lens. She notes the sea lice, the barnacles, and the way its skin looks like ancient, peeling wallpaper. Every line overflows with rich, domestic analogies.

*Bullet*How to do it: Don't rely on lazy adjectives like beautiful, ugly, or sad. Show us the exact details that create those feelings. If you are writing about an old car, don't just say it's a junker, tell us about the rust shaped like a map or the smell of stale coffee in the cup holder. Use the senses to draw your reader into your world.

Technique 2: Domestic Analogies
To help us understand a wild creature, the author hooks our imagination by using common household objects. She compares the fish's flesh to "white onions" and its bruised skin to "full-blown roses."

*Bullet*How to do it: Connect the unfamiliar with the familiar. Use metaphors from daily life to make abstract or strange concepts feel instantly relatable to your reader. You want to choose a strong metaphor that will surprise without confusing your readers. Using unconventional personification adds perspective and allows you to form a deeper connection with your reader.

Technique 3: Finding the Backstory
The poem shifts completely when she looks at the fish’s lip. She spots five old, broken fishing lines hanging from its jaw. She realizes this fish isn't giving up; it is a battle-hardened survivor. She calls those old hooks "medals with their ribbons." The focus shifts from clinical observation to deep reverence.

*Bullet*How to do it: Look for the history hidden in objects. A scar, a chipped coffee mug, or a worn-out shoe all tell a story. Find those stories in your subjects to give your poems emotional depth. That is what will ‘hook’ your readers. Like I've said before, there is "Poetry Among the Mundane" 

The Finale
Because Bishop spent the whole poem looking so intensely, the ending hits like a wave. The oily bilge water in her rented boat suddenly looks like a rainbow. She is so filled with awe that she lets the fish go. Sometimes victory is not about conquering nature. Sometimes it's about witnessing it and letting go.

Signature from Kiya's shop! Thanks Kiya!


Editor's Picks

~*InkBottle*~

Summer Storm  [13+]
A peaceful summer day gets interrupted by a brief but fierce thunderstorm.


Then sudden winds intrude upon the breeze,
and pull a shroud of dark and stormy gray.
The little birds take cover in the trees,
as quiet raindrops start to fall their way.

~*InkBottle*~

*Trigger warning: Suicide

 Painted in blue  [13+]
Dedicated to someone I used to love more than myself, I hope she never reads it


I saved you from drowning
in the black pond
when I clutched your wrist and pulled you out
your hair was darker, thumbs wrinkled

~*InkBottle*~

 
Green  [E]
Write a color poem. The poem could be about a specific color or a wide spectrum of colors
by fyndorian


Green.
Life, living, growing, alive.
Reaching, being.

~*InkBottle*~

 
I am the slave,  [E]
A poem of oppression and resilience.


I am the slave,
eternal hope in hopeless eternity—
sun in the night,
songful silence pierces skies

~*InkBottle*~

 
An Exercise in Self-Restraint  [13+]
Damn, this is getting tricky.


The fire of my fingertips
draws first blood
gently, gently

~*InkBottle*~

 
A Poet's Perspective…  [E]
Ever wonder what's in a poet's mind as YOU read THEIR poem? Come See...


I write my words, I pen my rhymes;
And although misconstrued sometimes,
I cannot quit I must press on –
My rhymes will live when I'm long gone.

~*InkBottle*~

Shared by the author:

Isolation Map  [18+]
Forgotten, rediscovered, and the realization that it was for the best.


Shoo away the dust bunnies
with a puff of hemp
and...surprise! There I am,
folded up and packed
like a map in the glove box.

~*InkBottle*~

 
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Word from Writing.Com
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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Ask & Answer
In response to: "The Poems We Didn’t Write" 

fivesixer writes:

I really get this, Brooke. I keep a small notebook by my laptop, loaded with lines and titles that come to me at random. Maybe in the moment I don't really have the time or the proper inspiration, but I'm trying this summer to make more of an effort to go through them and flesh out these ideas. The last poem I wrote is from an idea I had three or four years ago, and from the notes I had it was originally conceived as a rhyming piece, but the finished product came out differently. It'll be interesting to me to see what I can do with the other ideas I've scribbled down since publishing my last book.

I hope you find some great unfinished pieces and get inspired. Thanks for writing in. I'm glad this sparked some inspiration. :)


and kitkattrena84 sent:

Thanks for including my poem!!! 🥰

You're welcome! Thanks for reading my newsletters! :)


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