The Fish By Elizabeth Bishop: Gone Fishin'

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phrases, and these effectively depict a personal image of the fish.
She uses the familiar "wallpaper" comparison because it is something the
readers can relate to their own lives. Also the "ancient wallpaper" analogy can
refer to the fish's age. Although faded and aged he withstood the test of time,
like the wallp aper. Bishop uses highly descriptive words like "speckled" and
"infested" to create an even clearer mental picture. The word "terrible" is
used to describe oxygen, and this is ironic because oxygen is usually beneficial,
but in the case of the fish it is detrimental. The use of "terrible" allows
the reader to visualize the fish gasping for breaths and fighting against the
"terrible oxygen," permitting us to see the fish's predicament on his level.
The word frightening does essentially the same thing in the next phrase, "the
frightening gills." It creates a negative image of something (gills) usually
considered favorable, producing an intense visual with ...

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