Analysis of "The Shark" and "The Fish"
Personality or Appearance
In human nature, there is compassion and gentleness but there is also maliciousness and mischievousness and sometimes appearance can either make the intentions of someone distinguishable or potentially disguised. The poems “The Shark” by E.J. Pratt and “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop display a theme revolving around mindsets of individuals using the symbolization of aquatic creatures. E.J. Pratt’s poem “The Shark” portrays a shark as a fierce creature that is conniving yet quiet as it swims through the water. On the other hand, “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop shows the fish in a state of helplessness and frailty as she holds it in her hands out of the water. A comparison of the shark’s fatality versus the fish’s defenselessness shows that mankind has a diverse range in attitude that may or may not be expressed through the exterior of each individual. In the poem “The Shark” by E.J. Pratt, a shark is used as a symbol to define characteristics of humans and their darker essence within them. The speaker of the poem observes a content shark beneath the shallows of the water as the shark naturally continues with its daily routine. Pratt conveys the shark as undefeatable “as though he was the king of the underwater kingdom,” (PaperNerd Contributor). The poet’s description of the shark gives admiration to its intense look but it is acknowledged in a negative manner. Particularly in this poem, the devious behavior is not obvious since the shark “so leisurely […] swam” (2) when he “stirred not a bubble / as [he] moved / with [his] base-line on the water” (7-9). Whether or not “the dark side” can be hidden well, it is still bubbling beneath the surface of morality and ethics. The shark suddenly “turn[s] / and snap[s] at a flat-fish that was dead and floating” (14-15). Once this sly nature is released, it is hard to contain and too obvious to repress. A “flash of a white throat / and a double row of white teeth” (16-17) is exposed representing the
In human nature, there is compassion and gentleness but there is also maliciousness and mischievousness and sometimes appearance can either make the intentions of someone distinguishable or potentially disguised. The poems “The Shark” by E.J. Pratt and “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop display a theme revolving around mindsets of individuals using the symbolization of aquatic creatures. E.J. Pratt’s poem “The Shark” portrays a shark as a fierce creature that is conniving yet quiet as it swims through the water. On the other hand, “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop shows the fish in a state of helplessness and frailty as she holds it in her hands out of the water. A comparison of the shark’s fatality versus the fish’s defenselessness shows that mankind has a diverse range in attitude that may or may not be expressed through the exterior of each individual. In the poem “The Shark” by E.J. Pratt, a shark is used as a symbol to define characteristics of humans and their darker essence within them. The speaker of the poem observes a content shark beneath the shallows of the water as the shark naturally continues with its daily routine. Pratt conveys the shark as undefeatable “as though he was the king of the underwater kingdom,” (PaperNerd Contributor). The poet’s description of the shark gives admiration to its intense look but it is acknowledged in a negative manner. Particularly in this poem, the devious behavior is not obvious since the shark “so leisurely […] swam” (2) when he “stirred not a bubble / as [he] moved / with [his] base-line on the water” (7-9). Whether or not “the dark side” can be hidden well, it is still bubbling beneath the surface of morality and ethics. The shark suddenly “turn[s] / and snap[s] at a flat-fish that was dead and floating” (14-15). Once this sly nature is released, it is hard to contain and too obvious to repress. A “flash of a white throat / and a double row of white teeth” (16-17) is exposed representing the
Cited: "E. J. Pratt (1883-1964)." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Sharon R. Gunton. Vol. 19. Detroit: Gale Research, 1981. 376-386. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. Okanagan College. 27 October 2013 "Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979)." Poetry Criticism. Ed. Elisabeth Gellert. Vol. 34. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. 50-194. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. Okanagan College. 27 October "Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979)." Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 121. Detroit: Gale, 2002. 1-110. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. Okanagan College. 27 October 2013 Gingell, Susan. "The Newfoundland Context of the Poetry of E. J. Pratt." Essays on Canadian Writing 31 (Summer 1985): 93-105. Rpt. In Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Literature Resource Center. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Fish Summary"Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. WriteWork contributors. "SHARK" WriteWork.com. WriteWork.com, 23 April, 2001. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.