Year 12–13 / Grades 11–12
The Fish by Elizabeth Bishop — two lessons
Over two periods, students transition from close reading to analytical writing about Bishop's "The Fish." In Lesson 1, they focus on the poem's pivotal moment — the discovery of the five hooks (lines 51–65) — to understand how physical details build up to a moral insight, reflecting Bishop's movement from detached observation to an inspired release. In Lesson 2, students are tasked with writing a comparative or contextual paragraph, similar to an exam style, arguing how Bishop employs the rainbow image (lines 69–76) to highlight the poem's climax. By the end, students will be able to analyze how form, imagery, and structure collaborate to create meaning in a lyric poem.
Objectives
- Analyse how Bishop uses accumulative physical detail in lines 1–50 to establish the speaker's observational stance before the poem's moral turn.
- Explain how the discovery of the five hooks (lines 51–65) functions as the poem's structural and thematic pivot, shifting the speaker from scientist to witness.
- Evaluate how the rainbow image (lines 69–76) transforms the mundane interior of the rented boat into a site of visionary experience.
- Write an evidenced analytical paragraph that embeds and interrogates quotation from a named section of the poem.
- Compare Bishop's treatment of the natural world with that of at least one other text or context, using specific textual evidence from both.
The sequence
Lesson 1: From Observation to Revelation: Close Reading 'The Fish'
60 min · ch. 1- Do now
Here’s a humanized version of your text:
Take a look at the first four lines of 'The Fish': 'I caught a tremendous fish / and held him beside the boat / half out of water, with my hook / fast in a corner of his mouth.' Identify two things that the speaker deliberately leaves unsaid—feelings, judgments, or reactions that are missing—and make one prediction about the direction the poem might take.
Changes made:
- Replaced "Look at" with "Take a look at" for a more conversational tone.
- Changed "what feelings, judgements or reactions are absent" to "feelings, judgments, or reactions that are missing" for clarity and flow.
- Adjusted the phrasing of the second part to make it slightly more engaging while maintaining the original meaning.
- Teacher input
Model a close reading of lines 51–65 — from 'I looked into his eyes' to 'and then I saw / that from his lower lip — / if you could call it a lip — / grim, wet, and weaponlike, / hung five old pieces of fish-line.' Highlight how Bishop's parenthetical phrase 'if you could call it a lip' captures the speaker's scientific uncertainty even during this moment of realization. Notice how the list 'grim, wet, and weaponlike' prolongs the revelation of the hooks, creating suspense through its structure. As you annotate, pay attention to the form (the lengthy, enjambed free-verse line), the diction (the word 'weaponlike' implies both danger and a prize), and the shift from concrete description to interpretation (noting the terms 'medals' and 'ribbons').
- Independent task
Working through lines 1–50, students annotate their own copy of the poem, identifying three moments where Bishop's word choice feels intentionally clinical or detached — for instance, 'infested / with tiny white sea-lice' (lines 19–20) or 'the coarse white flesh / packed in like feathers' (lines 27–28). For each moment, students write two sentences: one detailing the effect of the word choice, and another discussing what emotional response it either withholds or avoids. Students submit their annotated copy with the three written responses clearly labeled.
- Exit ticket
In one sentence, explain why Bishop places the discovery of the five hooks at line 51 rather than at the beginning of the poem — what does the delay achieve for the reader's understanding of the speaker's transformation?
Lesson 2: Writing the Rainbow: Exam-Style Paragraph on Bishop's Climax
60 min · ch. 1- Do now
Read lines 69–76 silently: from 'I stared and stared' to 'until everything / was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!' Without any notes, write a one-sentence answer to this question: what does the word 'rainbow' signify in this context — is it a color, an emotion, a moral judgment, or something different? Be as specific as possible within sixty seconds.
- Teacher input
Model a full exam-style paragraph on lines 69–76, focusing on the phrase 'rainbow, rainbow, rainbow' — the poem's only instance of direct repetition. Start with a claim: 'Bishop uses the triple repetition of 'rainbow' to suggest that the speaker's act of careful observation has evolved into something deeper than mere sight.' Embed the quotation with a precise verb: 'Bishop repeats.' Then, delve into the word itself, exploring 'rainbow' as refracted light, a symbol of transience, and a representation of the Biblical covenant of mercy. Finally, connect this back to the poem's concluding line, 'And I let the fish go.' Here, the oil slick — typically seen as a sign of pollution — is transformed by the speaker's new perspective, illustrating how form (the free-verse line breaking on 'rainbow') is intertwined with meaning.
- Independent task
In lines 69–76, Bishop employs vivid imagery of light and color to elevate the poem's exploration of mercy and beauty. The interplay of light in phrases like "the sun was a little fish" creates a striking visual, suggesting a sense of wonder and connection between the natural world and the act of compassion. The use of "the rainbow" further emphasizes a spectrum of emotions, illuminating the transformative power of beauty in the speaker's experience. These images resonate with an earlier moment in lines 1–50, where the "green and brown" of the fish contrasts with the vibrant colors of the later lines, highlighting the shift from a more muted perception to one filled with brilliance. Ultimately, this crescendo of light and color leads to the speaker's profound decision to release the fish, encapsulating the intertwining themes of mercy and beauty and underscoring the significance of their relationship.
- Exit ticket
Write one sentence identifying the single most important word in lines 69–76 and explaining, in precise terms, why that word carries the weight of the poem's moral argument.
Activities
What the Speaker Refuses to Feel: Diction Audit of Lines 1–50 20 min · pairs
Each pair gets a printed copy of lines 1–50. They highlight every word that feels clinical, scientific, or intentionally emotionless — such as 'infested,' 'packed,' 'coarse,' 'lichen.' Next, they craft a joint sentence explaining the emotional response that Bishop is holding back and how that restraint amplifies the impact of the turn at line 51. Pairs return their annotated copy along with their sentence.
The Five Hooks: Medal or Wound? 15 min · groups
Groups of three get a card with lines 51–65 printed on it. They need to argue one of two positions: either the hooks symbolize the fish's honour or they symbolize the fish's suffering. They can only use evidence from the text. Each group creates a list of three bullet points that support their position and then listens to the counter-argument from another group. The evidence list is submitted afterward.
Syntax Mapping: How Enjambment Builds Suspense 20 min · individual
Students receive lines 45–65 with all line breaks removed, presented as a single prose block. They start by reading this prose version, then re-read the original poem. They annotate three specific line breaks, explaining in one sentence each how the break creates a sense of delay, emphasis, or surprise — for instance, the break before 'hung five old pieces of fish-line' (line 61). Students submit their three annotations.
Rainbow Rewrite: Changing the Ending 15 min · pairs
Pairs receive the last eight lines of the poem (lines 69–76) and are tasked with rewriting them so that the speaker decides to keep the fish instead of letting it go. They need to preserve Bishop's free-verse style and include at least one of her images. After completing their rewrites, they discuss in one sentence what is lost in terms of theme and tone in their version. Both the new lines and the sentence are returned.
Context Card Debate: Feminist Reading vs. Imagist Reading 20 min · groups
Groups get two context cards: one that summarizes the feminist critical reading (the speaker's victory is about liberation, not domination) and another that outlines the Imagist/Marianne Moore tradition (valuing precise observation for its own sake). They need to determine which reading better explains the poem's final line, 'And I let the fish go,' and write a two-sentence verdict that includes one piece of evidence from the text. The verdict card is then submitted.
Timed Comparative Sentence: Bishop and One Other Text 15 min · individual
Students receive a brief excerpt from a second nature poem (such as Ted Hughes's 'Pike' or Mary Oliver's 'The Summer Day') along with the last ten lines of 'The Fish.' In ten minutes, they craft one comparative sentence using the structure: 'While [other poet] portrays the natural world as [X], Bishop's speaker in 'The Fish' ultimately depicts it as [Y], as demonstrated by [quotation].' This sentence is submitted for quick written feedback.
Assessment
- Do-Now (Lesson 1): checks whether students can identify what is absent from Bishop's opening lines — a prerequisite for understanding the poem's delayed emotional turn.
- Annotation task (Lesson 1, lines 1–50): checks whether students can distinguish between clinical diction and emotional diction and articulate the effect of that distinction on a specific word level.
- Exit ticket (Lesson 1): checks whether students understand structural delay as a deliberate authorial choice, not a feature of the poem's length.
- Do-Now (Lesson 2): checks whether students can assign meaning to an image without scaffolding — a baseline for the paragraph-writing that follows.
- Exit ticket (Lesson 2): checks whether students can isolate a single word and construct a precise, text-specific argument about its function, rather than offering a general thematic statement.
Summative task
Write a full analytical paragraph (minimum 150 words) in response to the question: 'How does Bishop use the imagery of light and colour in lines 69–76 to bring the poem's themes of mercy and beauty to a climax?' Your paragraph must open with a clear claim, embed at least two quotations from lines 69–76, draw on one contrasting image from lines 1–50, and close by linking the imagery to the speaker's decision to release the fish in the poem's final line.
Marking notes
Top-band responses will recognize the repeated use of 'rainbow' as both a structural and semantic choice, rather than just a reference to color, and will link the oil-slick imagery to the poem's theme of redeeming the ordinary. Mid-band responses will include accurate quotations but will describe their effects in broad terms (e.g., 'this indicates that the speaker feels happy'). Lower-band responses will tend to paraphrase instead of analyzing or will address themes without tying their arguments to specific words from lines 69–76. The marker seeks precision at the word level throughout.
Standards covered
- Common Core 11 12
- RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
- RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
- W.11-12.9 — Draw evidence from literary texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
- AP Literature
- Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Write a thesis that makes a defensible claim about how an author's choices create literary meaning.
- Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Identify and explain the function of imagery and figurative language in a poem.
- Structure (STR-1) — Explain how the sequence and arrangement of lines and stanzas in a poem contribute to its meaning.
- Narration (NAR-1) — Analyse how a speaker's perspective shapes the reader's understanding of a text's central ideas.
- AQA
- AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts, maintaining a critical style and developing an informed personal response.
- AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology.
- AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
- Edexcel
- AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
- AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with reference to language, form and structure.
- AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, informed by interpretation of other readers.
- OCR
- AO1 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
- AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.
- AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
Storgy generator
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The Fish
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Full study guide
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