From the onset of civilization, society has increased its capabilities in the quest for survival. Methods of achieving fundamental needs have been belittled through modernization. In 1946, a time period defined by abundant technological advancement, Elizabeth Bishop describes the art of capturing a fish from water, an act once used simply as a food source, in her poem "The Fish." As the narrator caught the fish only to observe and then release the creature, the reader develops a desire to discover exactly what is being observed. Upon analysis of the work, the poem represents Bishop"s personal life, historical events of importance to her, and her views on American society.

             First of all, as the fish is held beside the boat, Bishop sees elements of her own personal existence in the animal. For instance, as the fish struggled for air, its gills were "crisp from blood (because breathing) can cut so badly"(Bishop 1211). The fish represents previously repressed inner thoughts, and its advancement into the conscious environment creates extreme pain. Like the fish, most creatures can exist only in an aquatic condition, or a terrestrial condition, just as an individual's thoughts can occupy either a cognizant or a subliminal setting. Next, as the speaker attempts to look into the fish"s eyes, the vision is "seen through the lenses of old scratched isinglass" (Bishop 1211). Isinglass, a product from the internal organs of fish used to produce windows, creates a paradoxical statement, showing that one cannot completely connect with their internal feelings. The hazy circular relationship between the fish and mariner displays the struggle for an individual to connect with their inner self. Finally, preceding the release of the animal, five hooks from earlier retrievals are described as the fish"s "beard of wisdom" (Bishop 1212). The collection of strings symbolize past personal revelations that Bishop arrived at by connecting with herself.