jlh+Bishop's+Higher+Purpose

In this poem by Elizabeth Bishop, explains her experience catching a tremendous fish. She starts the poem by telling us when she catches this fish, "He didn't fight. He hadn't fought at all." This tells us that the fish hadn't fought, because he couldn't fight anymore. Throughout the poem Bishop describes this fish in great detail, giving us the image of this old, tired, ugly fish, so we understand how bad she feels for it, and finally, having respect for this fish, and seeing this fish has little life left in him, she decides to let the fish go free. In a deeper meaning of the poem, Bishop describes an elder. They way Bishop describes her first encounter with this fish, and how she goes on and on about how this fish looks on the outside, she discovers there's more to see. In the way of having respect for this old and homely fish, she also has respect for those much older, and treats the fish like she would an elder. By looking at the poem more in deapth, helped me realize the deeper meaning Bishop includes in this poem.