Explication of One Art by Elizabeth Bishop

Bishop’s poem “One Art” commences with a much-repeated phrase throughout which will undergo a metamorphosis in its connotation. Initially, the phrase is hopeful and optimistic. The presentation of “losing”, though traditionally negative, is positive, as it is deemed to be an “art”, and that mastery of such art is not difficult. Bishop’s personification of “things” in the second line further contributes to the lighthearted nature of the first tercet. By describing “things” as having a desire to be lost, the act of losing does not seem dismal, but instead as the fulfillment of something’s intent.

Bishop transitions, then, to direct communication with the reader, by saying “Lose something every day. Accept the fluster of lost door keys.” Here, Bishop seems to counsel the reader to accept loss, in effect removing some negative connotation of the word “lose”.

The second stanza marks a shift in Bishop’s tone. The words “faster” and “farther” contribute a sense of urgency to the act of losing, increasing the anxiety within the mood of the poem.  Furthermore, the objects lost in this stanza are of greater importance than the keys and hours in the previous one. They have become places and names and traveling destinations. Concluding this stanza is the repetition of the assertion that loss will not bring disaster; however, where this repetition was previously counseling the reader, it seems to become excessive, causing the reader to question whether the author believes what she counsels, or whether her repetition is her trying to convince herself.

The lost objects in the third stanza contain yet more gravity: a mother’s watch, and houses. It is here that the connotation of the word “lose” may be reconsidered, for “loss” here does evidently not mean misplacing, when referring to the houses. Loss takes on a more serious connotation of either losing from possession or losing control of. Again, her repetition of “losing isn’t hard to master” insinuates that the author does not believe her own assertion. The sheer weight of losing something as important as a house, followed by the previously lighthearted phrase now repeated, transforms the phrase to become something sarcastic.

The fourth stanza carries this pattern on. The amount of loss escalates—cities, rivers, continents—contributing to the reader’s disbelief of what the author asserts, that losing is not a disaster. Also, at the end of this tercet, the author for the first time admits regret at her loss, taking away from her assertion, when she says “I miss them.”

The remaining stanza begins with the word “Even,” expressing that the final loss—losing you—is of greater significance of all previously mentioned items, including a continent. The author then adds, in parenthesis, as is diverging from her poem, what will go with the loss of what we may assume is a loved one or lover. Finally, she repeats that losing is not a difficult art to master, though this time she inserts the word “too”, emphasizing her growing disbelief in her own claim. Then, in parenthesis again, and italicized in a way that is potentially overdramatic and that stand out from the rest of the poem, the author seems to cry, “Write it!” which carries with it a note of despair and hopelessness, quite contrasting the beginning of her poem. This last stanza overwhelmingly demonstrated that Bishop does not belief loss of a loved one is surmountable, as it a more grievous offense than losing a country or treasured item. Evidently, Bishop’s repetition, combined with her final cry of “Write it!” is in fact her own self attempting to convince herself that she will overcome the disaster of losing a loved one.