Title:
The title seems to allude to having a specific skill, such as artistic ability. One Art could refer to a masterpiece of work that is secluded from other works, or could be the last of its kind.
Paraphrase:
The skill of losing is not difficult to overcome;
So many things are overwhelmed with the objective
to depart that their departure is not a tragedy,
Things depart everyday. Invite the agitation
Of lost door keys, the time wasted.
The skill of losing is not difficult to overcome.
Then get used to the distance you can achieve over these losses, these losses you’ll see more and more:
locations , and titles, and areas you were supposed
to go to. Not one will bring tragedy.
I misplaced my mother’s watch. And behold! My final, or
close to the final, of three admired residences went.
The skill of losing is not difficult to overcome.
I moved away from two cities, beautiful ones. And I possessed
Grander areas, surrounded by two rivers, a different continent.
I long for them, but it was not a tragedy.
Even when you left me (a humorous voice, something
I loved about you) I should not have lied. It is clear
The skill of losing is not very difficult to overcome.
Though it may seem, and I may go through writing it, like the true tragedy it is.
Connotations:
Line 1 and 3: “ The art of losing isn’t hard to master… their loss is not disaster”- The use of single rhyme within these lines allow the speaker to create unity within her ideas of the normalcy that she has grown experienced with, and the repetition of the rhyme she presents through these lines accent her ideals.
Line 3: “to be lost that their loss is no disaster”- The speaker utilizes assonance within this line, slowing down the momentum she has built in the previous to add emphasize the mentality she holds over loss and her ability to overcome it.
Line 4: “Lose something every day”- the speaker’s use of a minor sentence adds emphasis to the action she would like the reader to do, as well as showcasing the contrast to the loss of something grand versus that of something of trivial importance.
Line 7: “...losing farther, losing faster”- The presence of assonance within this line allows the reader the reader to slow down, just as one would not be able to keep with something gaining momentum and distance when lost.
Line 8-9: “places, and names, and where it was you mean to travel”- The use of polysyndeton mimics the speaker’s words of “losing faster,” the abundance of conjunctions making the list seem endless and fast (7).
Line 16-17: “I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster, some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent” -The speaker utilizes visual imagery within this line, pulling the reader into the contrast of the things she loses, moving away from forgotten keys and moving into things that hold more value, more memories.
Line 1,3,6,9,12,15,18: “master...disaster”- the speaker presents the repetition of “master” and disaster” several times throughout the piece, contradicting the actions the speaker is trying to achieve- to overcome loss and normalize herself to it. The use of the diction choices of “master” and “disaster” that is repeated throughout the work highlights the subject of loss that is central to theme of the work, presenting the speaker’s true difficulty of overcoming and “mastering” the loss she has experienced.
Attitude:
The tone of the poem begins as casual, however transforms into a powerfully tragic one, presented by the relaxed diction such as “lost door keys,” “things,” and “badly spent” (2, 5). This transforms into a tragic tone as the speaker shifts in the first line of the last stanza, “-Even losing you,” professing the loss of someone she loved that has pushed the speaker to try and fail at mastering the “art of losing” (1, 16).
Shifts:
The tone shifts from casual to tragic in line 19, the first sentence of the last stanza. The speaker transitions from trivial misplaced objects to the horrible loss of someone she loved, the language becoming more intimate, such as the direct use of “you” within line 19. The speaker allows the audience to be presented with information to allow the the situations preceding it to become more impactful, and showcase the emotional duplicity the audience is presented in within the beginning of the poem.
Title:
The title, after reading, seems to allude to various dimensions one piece of art can hold, presenting a work that can hold many implications that lie beneath the surface. The title reflects the speaker’s use of her own art of writing, in order to mask the feelings of loss she wishes to rid herself of.
Theme:
We may try to compensate for the loss we experience in life with suggested normalcy through a changed mentality.
Perspective:
Biographical - Aspects such as the talk of losing important things or people, as well as the more personal use of "I" show the biographical perspective of this poem. Bishop states in line 10 that she "lost [her] mother's watch", which she may have done before, as her mother was not around to take care of her and losing this would surely bring her grief. She also states in line 16 "Even losing you", possibly alluding to the loss of her girlfriend who she loved dearly and being unable to be with her anymore shows a more personal aspect to this poem. Many of Bishop's poems allude to her personal life, especially the loss of her lover back in Brazil, and is shown in this poem as well.
Psychoanalytic - The poem itself displays repressed feelings of depression and tragedy with the "art" of "losing". In line 3, Bishop writes "their loss is no disaster", as if nonchalantly putting off the loss of someone or something and ignoring the grieving that comes along with it. She writes to "accept the fluster", "practice losing farther", "none of these will bring disaster", further repressing these sad feelings under the deceptively calm words and mannerisms of the speaker (lines 4, 5, 7). Bishop displays her inner conflict with losing those dear to her through the poem and expresses feelings that she may keep deep inside herself as a way to cope with this loss.
Literary Movement:
Elizabeth Bishop’s work suggests the Modernism Movement, as she creates a relationship between the reader and speaker, introducing an inviting narrative that pulls the reader into the speaker’s story. The Modernism Movement allowed for new narratives and themes as well, as Bishop utilizes casual diction and a slight informal structure in order to create an impactful poem that showcases the tragedy of the theme.
The tone shifts from casual to tragic in line 19, the first sentence of the last stanza. The speaker transitions from trivial misplaced objects to the horrible loss of someone she loved, the language becoming more intimate, such as the direct use of “you” within line 19. The speaker allows the audience to be presented with information to allow the the situations preceding it to become more impactful, and showcase the emotional duplicity the audience is presented in within the beginning of the poem.
Title:
The title, after reading, seems to allude to various dimensions one piece of art can hold, presenting a work that can hold many implications that lie beneath the surface. The title reflects the speaker’s use of her own art of writing, in order to mask the feelings of loss she wishes to rid herself of.
Theme:
We may try to compensate for the loss we experience in life with suggested normalcy through a changed mentality.
Perspective:
Biographical - Aspects such as the talk of losing important things or people, as well as the more personal use of "I" show the biographical perspective of this poem. Bishop states in line 10 that she "lost [her] mother's watch", which she may have done before, as her mother was not around to take care of her and losing this would surely bring her grief. She also states in line 16 "Even losing you", possibly alluding to the loss of her girlfriend who she loved dearly and being unable to be with her anymore shows a more personal aspect to this poem. Many of Bishop's poems allude to her personal life, especially the loss of her lover back in Brazil, and is shown in this poem as well.
Psychoanalytic - The poem itself displays repressed feelings of depression and tragedy with the "art" of "losing". In line 3, Bishop writes "their loss is no disaster", as if nonchalantly putting off the loss of someone or something and ignoring the grieving that comes along with it. She writes to "accept the fluster", "practice losing farther", "none of these will bring disaster", further repressing these sad feelings under the deceptively calm words and mannerisms of the speaker (lines 4, 5, 7). Bishop displays her inner conflict with losing those dear to her through the poem and expresses feelings that she may keep deep inside herself as a way to cope with this loss.
Literary Movement:
Elizabeth Bishop’s work suggests the Modernism Movement, as she creates a relationship between the reader and speaker, introducing an inviting narrative that pulls the reader into the speaker’s story. The Modernism Movement allowed for new narratives and themes as well, as Bishop utilizes casual diction and a slight informal structure in order to create an impactful poem that showcases the tragedy of the theme.
