One Art- Elizabeth Bishop
Elizabeth Bishop, “One of the most important American poets of the twentieth century” as written by Larry Rohter of the New York Times. Elizabeth Bishop was a famous American poet and short-story writer, producing over 100 works during her lifetime. As a child, Bishop’s parents were abruptly removed from her life before she reached the age of being able to remember them long term. Her father grew ill and passed on before she was one year old and her mother was forced into a mental institution when Bishop was about five years old (Poetry Foundation ). She moved around from house to house, each with family members she was estranged from except for her grandparents. However, Bishop was still taken away from the only house she ever knew, which is why her experiences correlate with the majority of her poems, focusing on a lack of self-belonging and dealing with loss. One of her most famous works, “One Art”, delves into the feelings of everyday acceptance and how the “art of losing isn’t hard to master,” when in fact it is. The meter of this poem seems to be very monotone, gradually growing slower as if in a depressed way.
Bishop was known to have spent copious amounts of time perfecting one piece of work before continuing onto the …show more content…
“The art of losing isn’t hard to master” is stating that losing and loss is no big deal and that it is just something that is automatic. However, the reality is that loss is so much more than something to be brushed off the tip of your shoulder. Loss is a very natural human reaction and to cut oneself off from feeling those emotions could lead to stressful, psychological situations. In order to confidently say that “the art of losing is not hard to master”, loss must have been experienced, such as Bishop did, to be able to fully cut out the very deep emotions of loss and continue through the grieving
Elizabeth Bishop, “One of the most important American poets of the twentieth century” as written by Larry Rohter of the New York Times. Elizabeth Bishop was a famous American poet and short-story writer, producing over 100 works during her lifetime. As a child, Bishop’s parents were abruptly removed from her life before she reached the age of being able to remember them long term. Her father grew ill and passed on before she was one year old and her mother was forced into a mental institution when Bishop was about five years old (Poetry Foundation ). She moved around from house to house, each with family members she was estranged from except for her grandparents. However, Bishop was still taken away from the only house she ever knew, which is why her experiences correlate with the majority of her poems, focusing on a lack of self-belonging and dealing with loss. One of her most famous works, “One Art”, delves into the feelings of everyday acceptance and how the “art of losing isn’t hard to master,” when in fact it is. The meter of this poem seems to be very monotone, gradually growing slower as if in a depressed way.
Bishop was known to have spent copious amounts of time perfecting one piece of work before continuing onto the …show more content…
“The art of losing isn’t hard to master” is stating that losing and loss is no big deal and that it is just something that is automatic. However, the reality is that loss is so much more than something to be brushed off the tip of your shoulder. Loss is a very natural human reaction and to cut oneself off from feeling those emotions could lead to stressful, psychological situations. In order to confidently say that “the art of losing is not hard to master”, loss must have been experienced, such as Bishop did, to be able to fully cut out the very deep emotions of loss and continue through the grieving