The Shampoo

Elizabeth Bishop, pg. 28

The first thing I notice about this poem is the imagery that Bishop presents with careful word choices. The elliptical thoughts, reminiscent of Dickinson, help her create an almost tangible scene. She presents juxtapositions that initially seem strange, but as the poem goes on, help the reader understand how she wants the scene’s tone to feel like. For example, the lichens are compared to explosions that have gray, concentric shocks, but are also compared to rings around the moon. “Rings around the moon” is a much more serene and peaceful image and after such a difference in images, it heightens the sense of tranquility the reader feels.

Bishop also uses repetition to great effect, as she repeats several images through the poem. An image of the universe, and little elements in it, helps convey her feelings. The first stanza has a strange explosion that could represent a supernova, which creates the building blocks of life. Then you have the image of rings around a moon, circling around the planetary body, which in this case is the moon. The heavens in the next stanza are a metaphor for a caring individual, one that is around you so much he knows you so well he will let you redo mistakes, like going back in time. The third stanza ends with shooting stars, that seem like they will fit into a large basin, which looks like again, a pot-marked moon. Bishop uses the a large ambiguous metaphoric image, and narrows it specifically down to one element to guide her readers to what she wants them to see.

I love how this poem is surprising because she is able to use such different elements to help her create a caring image of shampooing one’s hair.