Haiku and Image
In the poem “The Fish ‘’ by Marianne Moore, uses diction and imagery to show how things in nature and humans are able to live and grow when there are continuous setbacks and devastation. This is done with visual imagery that describes color throughout the poem, “through black jade, turquoise sea, pink rice grains, and crabs like green lilies” (Finch,28). Using color helps the reader picture these objects and animals in their minds to help them understand what is happening in the poem between the good and bad in life. Kinesthetic imagery also plays a big part in this poem, helping with the motions and movements of the poem. This can be seen throughout the poem, “adjusting the ash-heaps, opening and shutting itself like an injured fan, submerged shaft, moving themselves, water drives a wedge and slides on each other” (Finc, 27). These parts of the poem help the readers have a feeling of the words that they are reading as if they were a fish going on the journey of life in the sea. The diction in the poem is carefully chosen so there is a deeper meaning behind the poem of a fish in the sea. It is used to show the unexpected circumstances that life gives you. The fish is in the dark water all alone navigating its way through the beautiful sea. Along the way the fish hits challenges like the “dynamite grooves, burns, and hatchet strokes” (Finch,28) in the chasm side. The jellyfish and crabs bring color to the sea representing life while the dark ones represent death or sadness. But this shows coexistence of species in one ecosystem. Life happens and nature starts growing old and animals die and others move on to better places. The same thing happens with humans too.
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Elizabeth,Daryush. “The Fish.” An Exaltation of Forms: Contemporary Poets Celebrate the Diversity of Their Art. Eds. Anne Finch and Kathrine Varnes, U of Michigan Press, 2002. pp.28.
