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Beth McCutcheon (Carroll)

CSULB

Painting Life with Words: The Poetry of Elizabeth Bishop and Philip Levine

Poetry is an intense perception of life. By using language to describe, analyze, and critique the world around us, poetry is not

only formed on the page but also in the unconscious mind of the reader. The poet paints a visual and very personal picture of the

world, both internal and external, around us. As with all forms of artistic expression, certain poets can affect their readers in profound

and powerful ways. These poets have the capacity to make the reader feel that they are speaking to her, expressing the reader’s hidden

thoughts and feelings. The poetry of Elizabeth Bishop and Philip Levine have the power to create a visual picture for the reader to

highlight the beauty found in everyday life. Their poetry uses simple vocabulary and dynamic imagery to discuss complex

experiences of human reality. They do not dwell in the mystical world of the unknown; they invoke stories of everyday occurrences

familiar to the “common man.”

In the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, the reader embarks on a picturesque journey through everyday life. The rods of each poem

function as the eyes of the reader, showcasing the world that Bishop wants her to see. Therefore, the reader is a traveler on a visual

tour of imagery. While the diction of the poem focuses on common vocabulary and syntax, it is the imagery of the poem that creates a

montage for the reader. For example, in “The Fish” Bishop describes a fish caught on her fishing line as “speckled with barnacles, /

fine rosettes of lime” (Bishop 44). Every aspect of the fish is described, from the gills “breathing in terrible oxygen” to the color and

contour of the eyes (44-45). Bishop creates a metaphor of a soldier in combat. This fish is not just an ordinary fish caught on a line;
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instead, Bishop describes this fish as “tremendous” and “venerable,” with a “weaponlike” lower lip (45). The old war wounds,

meaning the previous hooks, are described as “a five-haired beard of wisdom / trailing from his aching jaw” hanging “like medals with

their ribbons / frayed and wavering” (45). This description not only adds to the visual image of the fish but also helps to identify

Bishop’s admiration of the remarkable perseverance of this fish. Once the reader reaches the end of the poem, she is relieved and

thankful that the fish has been let go. These feelings seem to stem from the fact that the descriptive imagery and use of metaphor

associated with a soldier in combat has allowed this reader to feel empathy and compassion for this heroic warrior.

While Bishop’s “The Fish” is based around a theme of respecting a living creature’s will to live, “The Man-Moth” changes

themes entirely and seems to be discussing the need for man to view the world through a different perspective. The simple language

and vocabulary coupled with an abstract entity, the Man-Moth, has created both curiosity and frustration. The poem begins with a

graphic portrayal of the Man-Moth looking down on mankind. However, as the poem continues to unfold, the Man-Moth “trembles,

but must investigate as high as he can climb” (Bishop 43). On some level, Bishop seems to be suggesting that man must investigate

the unknown of the universe, that man must travel to the highest and scariest parts of himself to understand the world. Interestingly,

Bishop contrasts the Man-Moth’s bravery at climbing the faces of skyscrapers with man’s incapacity to rise above his present vantage

point. While the poem appears to be clear and straightforward, it also seems to possess an underlying emotional element that cannot

be expressed in words. At the heart of the poem is this underlying question of why the Man-Moth must travel backwards. Is he

simply traveling back to his comfortable vantage point after falling from the building? Or, is it something much more complicated or

much more simple? This feeling of frustration at finding the unconscious meaning propels the reader’s enjoyment of the poem. The
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dichotomy of simplistic language coupled with clear visual imagery that is so difficult to understand attaches the reader’s attention to

how beautiful and simplistic life can seem, while the underlying purpose or meaning of life is but a mere question we constantly seek

to answer.

While Elizabeth Bishop’s poems are visual representations of a wide gamut of themes, Philip Levine concentrates his poems

around themes of family and industrial work. The poem “Among Children” is filled with simple language and visual representations

of the dreariness that the future offers youngsters grouping up in industrial Flint, Michigan. The poem begins with a prophecy of what

the future has to hold for the hong fourth graders of Flint:

the children are sleeping through fourth grade

so as to be ready for what is ahead

..............................................

You can see

already how their backs have thickened,

how their small hands, soiled by pig iron,

leap and stutter even in dreams. (Levine 365).

The casual almost conventional tone along with concrete images gives the poem an accessible quality. While Bishop’s poems us the

entire poem to paint a picture of one particular scene, Levine cleverly takes seemingly everyday images and adds a twist to them.

While “Among Children” seems to be completely about the future of the youth of Flint, the poet brings himself into the poem and
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changes the reader’s focus. Once the reader reaches the last lines of the poem (“so I bow to them here and whisper / all I know, all I

will never know” (366)), Levine is concentrating less on the children and more on his desire to articulate what he has experienced.

This shift in perspective and voice in Levine’s poetry adds to its realistic human quality. His words seem to flow in a similar manner

as conversation, working in a nonlinear pattern but not straying far from the topic.

In “What Work Is,” Levine furthers his accessibility by addressing the reader and using humorous undertones. The casual tone

and simple vocabulary help draw the reader into the poem: “You know what work is--if you’re / old enough to read this you know

what / work is, although you may not do it. / Forget you” (Levine 364). While this poem has comedic aspects to it, the underlying

theme of daily struggle to survive is very serious and powerful. Levine uses descriptive language to allow the reader a glimpse into

the world fo the auto worker of Detroit. The workers waste hours in line to meet a man who will abruptly turn them away for any

reason. However, the poem changes tone, and Levine seems to be discussing his own personal experience. He seems to change his

focus from the ordinary man in line trying to find a job to descriptions of his brother. This shift follows his conversational tone--it

seems that he is following a stream of consciousness thought process. He ends the poem with a comparison of the difficulties of the

worker finding work with telling your brother you love him.

Part of the beauty of Levine’s poetry is that it allows the reader a glimpse into Levine’s mind. The reader sees descriptive

images of the world around Levine; yet, she is forced to follow his vision as it changes perspective and focus. This shift in perspective

allows the reader to feel a part of Levine’s reality. While Levine uses imagery to highlight multiple images or ideas in a single work

of poetry, Elizabeth Bishop concentrates on one image and uses words to paint a beautiful visual interpretation for her readers. Both
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poets tend to shift themes and ideas: Levine shifts themes during a single poem, while each of Bishop’s poem highlights a new and

different theme. The ability of these poets to escape being typecast as a particular theme gives their poetry an unpredictable and “real”

quality. Like life, the poetry of Levine and Bishop changes focus and evolves from common experience. Both poets use simple

vocabulary and descriptive language to invoke powerful visual images for their readers. These poets let the reader see, feel, hear,

touch, and become an active member of the poem. Whether they are discussing the death of a beloved friend (“North Haven”), a

budding understanding of the world around us (“In the Waiting Room”), a polluted industrial city (“Coming Home”), or a discovery of

the universe while sitting on your father’s shoulders (“Starlight”), the reader is always left with a beautiful portrait chalked full of

images. Even if the reader cannot attach words to their reading of the poem, the poet has somehow left a lasting impression: a portrait

of words.
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Works Cited

Bishop, Elizabeth. “The Fish.” Poulin 44-46.

Bishop, Elizabeth. “The Man-Moth.” Poulin 43-44.

Levine, Philip. “Among Children.” Poulin 365-366.

Levine, Philip. “What Work Is.” Poulin 364-365.

Poulin, A., ed. Contemporary American Poetry.6th ed. Boston: Houghton, 1996.