In Elizabeth Bishop’s poem "The Fish" a very peculiar turn of events take place. The poetess “paints” the day she caught a grand fish, that has obviously eluded many previous captures by skilled fisherman, which is implied by her description of the sorts of fishing lines that are visible from the fish’s mouth. These fishing lines and hooks hang as metaphorical medals for escaping many nearly successful captures.

Bishop’s description of the fish’s decrepit appearance lets the reader know how ancient this fish really is. Yet Bishop uses positive imagery to describe the withered scales that otherwise would shine and glisten by comparing their appearance to ancient wallpaper and roses (opposed to rusting or rotting per say).

What is most interesting to me is the change of mood in the end

” and victory filled up
the little rented boat,
from the pool of bilge
where oil had spread a rainbow
around the rusted engine
to the bailer rusted orange,
the sun-cracked thwarts,
the oarlocks on their strings,
the gunnels — until everything
was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!
And I let the fish go.”

In this finale Bishop understands that she is the only one who caught this monstrosity of a fish, that it surrendered to her; she is overjoyed with sense of victory and feeling of fulfillment (which is portrayed in repetition of the word “rainbow”) and out of her respect for the age and previously victorious battles of this fish – she lets it go.

This poem shows a very interesting glimpse of connection between species, the human nature of looking into things and connecting to it by finding human characteristics them.