The Fish by Bishop: Full Line by Line Analysis

The Fish by Bishop is one of the most rewarding poems for Leaving Certificate Higher Level study because it invites close, forensic reading. This extended line-by-line breakdown helps you capture every significant shift in tone, image, and technique, ensuring you can transform detailed observation into examiner-grade insights. Remember: The Fish by Bishop must always be repeated in essays, because examiners reward clarity of focus.

Where The Fish by Bishop Fits in the Course

This poem sits within Bishop’s prescribed poetry on Paper 2. Questions often target her painterly precision, her ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, and her thematic focus on observation and epiphany. The Fish by Bishop is a model text to demonstrate all of these qualities, and it frequently forms the backbone of successful essays.

Line by Line Analysis

Lines 1–5: Statement of Fact

The poem opens directly: Bishop tells us she “caught a tremendous fish.” The adjective “tremendous” is factual, not emotional, signalling her detached, observational mode. This earns marks because it establishes the contrast between understatement and later revelation. The act of catching is stated without drama, setting the stage for description.

Lines 6–10: Immediate Observation

Bishop describes the fish’s “brown skin,” using a simile that compares it to “ancient wallpaper.” The language fuses domestic imagery with nature, transforming the fish into a textured canvas. Examiners reward candidates who recognise Bishop’s painterly eye: she does not just describe, she layers meaning. This is Bishop treating the fish as both real and symbolic.

Lines 11–15: Texture and Detail

The description of the skin continues, with focus on peeling layers and colours beneath. Students should note the build-up of imagery, almost like brushstrokes. The effect is to slow down perception: Bishop forces us to look closely. Marks are given for linking this to her poetic style across her work, where close observation leads to revelation.

Lines 16–20: Inner Anatomy

Bishop shifts to the fish’s internal features: “gills” are described in vivid terms, with a striking comparison to “roses.” This simile elevates what could be gruesome into something delicate and beautiful. The key exam point is contrast: ordinary biology transformed into aesthetic vision. Examiners reward this recognition of Bishop’s artistic transfiguration.

Lines 21–25: The Eyes

The fish’s “eyes” are depicted with detached precision, “shallower” and “yellowed.” The tone is clinical, not sentimental. Students must highlight how Bishop avoids projecting emotion onto the fish, instead respecting its physical presence. Marks come from understanding her restraint, which makes the later epiphany more powerful.

Lines 26–30: Signs of Struggle

The jaw carries “five old pieces of fish-line.” This detail is central. It shows survival, endurance, and the scars of past encounters. In exam terms, this is a turning point: the fish becomes not just an object but a symbol of resilience. Students must highlight this as Bishop’s discovery of meaning through observation.

Lines 31–35: Survivor’s Honour

Bishop stresses that the hooks are “like medals.” This metaphor elevates the fish into a war veteran, honoured for its endurance. This earns marks because it shows Bishop’s shift from detached observer to respectful witness. The fish becomes almost heroic, embodying dignity through survival.

Lines 36–40: Emotional Recognition

The tone begins to soften. Bishop admits she “stared and stared,” signalling both fascination and reverence. This repetition shows her being drawn in, unable to detach. Examiners expect students to recognise this as the moment where the poet herself is changed by the encounter. Marks are awarded for linking technique (repetition) to effect (emerging awe).

Lines 41–45: Surroundings Take Over

The focus shifts outward: Bishop notices “oil” spreading across the water, creating “a rainbow.” This is symbolic: the world itself seems to mirror the revelation she is experiencing. Students who point out the movement from micro (fish) to macro (surroundings) demonstrate exam-ready insight. This earns credit because it shows awareness of structural progression.

Lines 46–50: Visionary Moment

The description intensifies, with repetition: “rainbow, rainbow, rainbow.” This is an epiphany, Bishop’s perception overwhelmed by colour and wonder. Examiners give marks for recognising tonal shift: precise detail gives way to transcendence. The repetition captures the immediacy and power of the moment.

Lines 51–55: Decision Point

At the height of this vision, Bishop makes the quiet decision to let the fish go. Importantly, she states it without sentimentality. The understatement is Bishop’s hallmark: she trusts image and tone, not explanation. In exams, highlight this as a defining trait of her style: restraint that makes the moment more authentic.

Lines 56–End: Release

The poem ends simply with the act of release. Bishop never declares triumph or moral; instead, the transformation is implied. For exam purposes, the key is structure: factual beginning, descriptive layering, symbolic discovery, visionary epiphany, and understated conclusion. Examiners reward candidates who show how the arc mirrors Bishop’s method of finding revelation in the ordinary.

Evidence That Scores

• “like ancient wallpaper” – precise simile, painterly effect. Scores because it proves Bishop’s descriptive technique.
• “roses” for gills – transforms the biological into the aesthetic. Scores because it demonstrates Bishop’s elevation of the ordinary.
• “five old pieces of fish-line” – survival symbol. Scores because it embodies resilience, moving the fish from object to subject.
• “like medals” – metaphor of honour. Scores because it shows Bishop’s respect and tonal shift.
• “rainbow, rainbow, rainbow” – repetition signalling epiphany. Scores because it reveals structural climax.

Model H1 Paragraph

In The Fish by Bishop, Bishop uses description to transform an encounter with a fish into a profound moment of revelation. At first, the language is restrained, as when the fish’s “brown skin” is described “like ancient wallpaper.” This simile demonstrates her painterly precision, rewarding close readers with layered imagery. The fish’s battle scars, shown through “five old pieces of fish-line,” elevate it from creature to symbol, embodying survival and resilience. Later, the metaphor of hooks “like medals” signals respect: the fish becomes almost heroic in its endurance. Finally, Bishop’s repetition of “rainbow, rainbow, rainbow” marks the climax, an epiphany where perception shifts into awe. In exam terms, these features illustrate Bishop’s wider style: she transforms the ordinary through precise observation, symbolic layering, and restrained yet profound conclusions.

Pitfalls

• Listing descriptions without analysis. Marks are for technique + effect, not catalogue.
• Ignoring the structural progression: from fact to revelation.
• Quoting too much: examiners reward short, sharp references.
• Forgetting to link back to Bishop’s style across her other poems.

Rapid Revision Drills

• Explain how Bishop’s use of simile in the description of the fish’s skin reflects her style.
• What is the significance of the fish’s “five old pieces of fish-line”?
• How does the repetition of “rainbow” contribute to the poem’s climax?

Exam Application

Always tie The Fish by Bishop into her broader poetic method. Compare the transformation of the fish into a symbol of survival with the transformation of the ordinary in Filling Station or the dignity of endurance in The Prodigal. Examiners reward candidates who show Bishop’s consistency across her work. Keep quotations short and explanations sharp.

Key Takeaways

The Fish by Bishop moves from factual observation to transformative revelation. Each stage of the description builds toward an epiphany, where repetition and imagery crystallise the poet’s awe. For exam success, focus on simile, metaphor, repetition, and tonal shift, always linking evidence back to Bishop’s wider style. Precision, clarity, and structured analysis are what secure H1-standard marks.