In the poem, “One Art,” Elizabeth Bishop uses symbolism to give the poem a complex meaning. The author talks about the art of losing, which is not hard to master. It is easy to lose objects, such as door keys, but “none of these will bring disaster” (Bishop, line 9). In lines 1-3, the writer says that so many things in our everyday lives are filled with intent to be lost, but it is not a disaster, “The art of losing isn’t hard to master/ so many things seem filled …show more content…
The author is symbolizing that individuals lose not just small things, but precious things. In lines 7-9, the author states that people practice losing things farther and faster, “Then practice losing farther, losing faster/ places, and names, and where it was you meant/ to travel. None of these will bring disaster.” Even though people start to lose memories of the names and places of where they were going, it is not a catastrophe. People can create new memories, but old memories can never be returned once lost. The symbolism expressed in lines 7-9 is given to the readers to show that people do not need to take things for granted. Bishop explains that people should enjoy the memories while they last, because one day, they may disappear. Besides losing memories, there are things that are far more important to individuals that are the hardest to