still alive on the inside. The previous language of the poem, such as line 10, “his brown skin hung in strips” now stresses a more active tone as is evident in lines 30-31, “the dramatic reds and blacks of his shiny entrails.” Bishop then turns her attention to the other life pulses of the fish such as the eyes and mouth. She described the fish’s stare “like the tipping of an object towards the light;” this very astute observation shows the reader that the narrator is thinking deeply about the fish, and there is a connection made on the part of the fisherman. The size of the gap between the narrator and the fish is decreasing and the realization of the fish’s life is coming into focus. The lip "if you could call it a lip" is the next part observed. It is described as "grim," "wet," and "weapon-like," giving the reader an impression of a weathered veteran of the sea, which challenges the portrayal of the submissive victim he was made out to be in the beginning of the poem. As the fisherman explains the hooks and lines caught in the fish’s lip, the reader learns that the lip has grown around the hooks, thus becoming part of the fish. This is symbolic of the manner in which life experiences change and strengthen the person, or in this case, the fish (a tie that brings all creatures together). These appendages hang “like medals with their ribbons frayed and wavering,” creating the image of a hero winning many battles. This simile creates another level of respect for the fish on the part of the narrator, and following the simile is a metaphor that emphasizes the narrator’s ensuing admiration for the fish. The fish is now considered "wise" with his “five-haired beard of wisdom trailing behind his aching jaw;” where as before he was simply a floating entity for sea-lice to feast upon and the fisherman to catch. Having broken through the initial theme...
