Essay Example on Elizabeth Bishop: A Pioneer of American Modernism and Poetry

Introduction

• Born 1911 in Worcester, Massachusetts. She lived in the Modernism art period. ("Elizabeth Bishop | American Poet").
• Bishop lost her father at an earlier age; her mum was put in a mental asylum, and she went to live with her grandparents. She lost to people who were close to her.
• Founded the influential literary journal called con Spirito.
• Started teaching at Harvard in 1970 and worn a National book award in the poetry category for the complete poems.
• A poetry consultant to the library of Congress and won some awards in poetry.
• She was a perfectionist who polished her work over long periods rather than write prolifically. She published 101 poems. Her most dominant themes include the struggle for self-identity.

The Poem - "One Art"

This is a short poem authored by Elizabeth Bishop. The poem reveals her feelings concerning the numerous losses that she had experienced in her lifetime. She uses a clear and concise style to describe how she mastered all the losses and how other individuals can handle similar situations. Throughout the poem, the author shows how easily one can lose material possessions. She further argues that eventually, people lose these things, and therefore their loss should not affect them that much (Levine 72) . "Lose something every day" lines (Lines 4). The poem is inclined towards teaching people lessons about mastering the art of losing material possessions. Her perspective is that people should optimize for a loss regardless of the magnitude and live with the knowledge that loss is inevitable in life.

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The structure of the poem makes it a perfect example of a villanelle. It has 19 lines bunched up into six stanzas. The poem contains a peaceful attitude because the persona does not worry about losing anything. The predominant theme in the poem is the art of losing. The author categorizes losses into minor and major classes. This classification assists the audience in understanding the losses and their repercussions. She starts the poem with minor losses and proceeds to major ones with the final loss appearing to be that of a loved one (Lines 5-16). The persona uses a stream of consciousness and a specific word structure to portray a sad tone.

Millier Brett's Views on "One Art"

In his analysis of "One Art," Millier Brett believes that Bishop conceives the poem of "twos" only to end with the one. "In the poem, she mentions two rivers, two cities and a lover to build on the two-rhyme villanelle" (Millier). She starts with one thing only to end with another. After a long period of writing the poem, it all comes back to her. One observes that Elizabeth was on a self-discovery journey in which she would not focus on the losses but preferably what experience she gained on the way.

Michelle Gadpaille's Views on "One Art"

Michelle believes that the main idea that runs through the poem remains her "struggle to locate herself in the world"(Michelle 3). After everything Elizabeth went through, she reveals her sexuality as a lesbian in the poem. The observation here is about her purpose that is self-reflexive rather than self-serving. The process of healing emotional scars took years after she chose not to focus on the losses.

Reasons for Recommending "One Art"

The poem contains a nostalgic feeling that even skeptic people can relate to, especially at an older age when people begin accepting themselves, their choices and their losses. The nostalgic feeling in the poem contains a literal undertone. The content is universally appealing, and the predominant theme, which is the art of losing is easy to grasp even from the beginning of the poem. The poem has an attractive quality to readers who are not excited about poems. Even a skeptic person can enjoy the poem because it speaks to all of us. Every single person has had their share of losses, and the message here is to let go and to focus on the wins.

Works Cited

"Elizabeth Bishop | American Poet". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2020, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-Bishop. Accessed 30 Apr 2020.

Gadpaille, Michelle, and Tomaz Onic. "Elizabeth Bishop and the Villanelle: One Art, an Ocean, and Two Languages." TEMATSKI SKLOP/THEMATIC SECTION (2019): 69. 10.3986/pkn.v42.i3.05

Levine, Robert S. The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 9th ed., Norton, 2017, pp. 72-73.

Millier, Brett. "Brett C. Millier: On The Drafts "One Art" | Modern American Poetry". Modernamericanpoetry.Org, 2015, https://www.modernamericanpoetry.org/criticism/brett-c-millier-drafts-one-art. Accessed 28 Apr 2020.