A lovely insightful essay that captures the skill, vision and generosity of Elizabeth Bishop's poetry. Your remarks about how she opened 'a space that gives the reader the opportunity to enter, and to create meaning' reminds me of that marvelous 'space' in the 'The Moose' when the speaker, on behalf of all the passengers of the Boston-bound bus (as well as all the poem's readers), says
In the creakings and noises,
an old conversation
- not concerning us,
but recognizable, somewhere,
back in the bus:
Grandparents' voices
uninterruptedly
talking, in Eternity
What other poet could have used such an unpromising word as 'uninterruptedly' so well? What other poet has had the selflessness to use the second person plural so poignantly?
Many thanks for such a thoughtful scrutiny of the poem. Interesting to think about gendered readings in relation to this poem and a certain famous island poem by John Donne…?
Oh yes! Thank you Michael. I almost mentioned the Donne poem in this piece (but it was getting a bit long for a Substack) and will definitely make sure it's in the mix for the gendered reading workshop. Very different approaches from Donne and Bishop. Some of it probably historical, but doubtless gender plays a role too. Bishop has such a playful, irreverent tone.
A further thought - I think it was Hegel who suggested that we know ourselves only as we are known by others - that our sense of self is socially constructed, in other words. This idea is amplified by research into infant psychology which suggested that the infant sense of self is emergent through its relationship with its ‘significant other’ (usually but not necessarily the mother). I wonder what this adds to questions about ‘gendered’ readings, especially in relation to a poem such as this?
Thanks for this. It sent me back to the poem and to trying to work out how she gets away with that fine line you refer to between the phatic and the symbolically charged – flute, goats, not to mention the Daffodils reference – without the poem – or at least Crusoe’s voice sounding somewhat arch and the ending of the poem sentimental rather than sad. I think Crusoe’s use of questions helps to involve the reader as does Bishop’s characteristic use of adjustments, “No, not exactly...” etc. although she can’t resist that laconic “But aren’t we all?” which sounds more Bishop than Crusoe and kind of gives the game away – that despite the details of his island life, this is a poem which isn’t about only Crusoe’s solitude.
I enjoyed reading this post, Lisa, about an author I'm not familiar with. It's interesting to read your essay and to follow the thread that's been created as you reflect on the work of Bishop's poetry, inspired by the story of Robinson Crusoe. Thank you for your insight and for the introduction to Elizabeth Bishop.
A lovely insightful essay that captures the skill, vision and generosity of Elizabeth Bishop's poetry. Your remarks about how she opened 'a space that gives the reader the opportunity to enter, and to create meaning' reminds me of that marvelous 'space' in the 'The Moose' when the speaker, on behalf of all the passengers of the Boston-bound bus (as well as all the poem's readers), says
In the creakings and noises,
an old conversation
- not concerning us,
but recognizable, somewhere,
back in the bus:
Grandparents' voices
uninterruptedly
talking, in Eternity
What other poet could have used such an unpromising word as 'uninterruptedly' so well? What other poet has had the selflessness to use the second person plural so poignantly?
Yes! Thanks Chris. Totally agree, lovely quotation from ‘The Moose’
Many thanks for such a thoughtful scrutiny of the poem. Interesting to think about gendered readings in relation to this poem and a certain famous island poem by John Donne…?
Oh yes! Thank you Michael. I almost mentioned the Donne poem in this piece (but it was getting a bit long for a Substack) and will definitely make sure it's in the mix for the gendered reading workshop. Very different approaches from Donne and Bishop. Some of it probably historical, but doubtless gender plays a role too. Bishop has such a playful, irreverent tone.
A further thought - I think it was Hegel who suggested that we know ourselves only as we are known by others - that our sense of self is socially constructed, in other words. This idea is amplified by research into infant psychology which suggested that the infant sense of self is emergent through its relationship with its ‘significant other’ (usually but not necessarily the mother). I wonder what this adds to questions about ‘gendered’ readings, especially in relation to a poem such as this?
Thanks for this. It sent me back to the poem and to trying to work out how she gets away with that fine line you refer to between the phatic and the symbolically charged – flute, goats, not to mention the Daffodils reference – without the poem – or at least Crusoe’s voice sounding somewhat arch and the ending of the poem sentimental rather than sad. I think Crusoe’s use of questions helps to involve the reader as does Bishop’s characteristic use of adjustments, “No, not exactly...” etc. although she can’t resist that laconic “But aren’t we all?” which sounds more Bishop than Crusoe and kind of gives the game away – that despite the details of his island life, this is a poem which isn’t about only Crusoe’s solitude.
I enjoyed reading this post, Lisa, about an author I'm not familiar with. It's interesting to read your essay and to follow the thread that's been created as you reflect on the work of Bishop's poetry, inspired by the story of Robinson Crusoe. Thank you for your insight and for the introduction to Elizabeth Bishop.
Very glad to have made the introduction. So lovely to discover a new poet, and she's one of my absolute favourites, I hope you enjoy.
Thanks for this Lisa, Im off to read it now (for the first time). I really like her poem The Fish and return to it often