After all, she wanted to move to another part of the world. Unfortunately, her losses continue to gain importance. This is apparent when she laments, "Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture / I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident / the art of losing's not to hard to master" (16-17) There is so much going on in these three lines. Most likely, she is talking about Maria's suicide. No doubt, the loss of a loved one is the greatest loss of all.
In addition to including her personal life experiences, her knowledge of distant lands is also a diminant theme in her poetry. Throughout her life, Bishop traveled to many exotic places including Mexico, Europe, and South America. She even lived in Brazil for sixteen years. Bishop was undkoubtedly well traveled. This knowledge stood out in much of her poetry. For example, the poem "Florida" is filled with astounding visual and tactile imagery that only someone with intimate knowledge of the land could write:.
Tanagers embarrassed by their flashiness.
and pelicans whose delight it is to clown;.
who coast for fun on the strong tidal currents.
in and out among the mangrove islands and.
stand on the sand-bars drying their damp gold wings .
on sun-lit evenings (Bishop, lines 11-16).
After reading this, one can almost feel the "damp" wings of the pelicans and can envision these birds playing in the sea. It is obvious that Bishop has viewed this many times, because she is very descriptive.
"Florida" also contains rich auditory and olfactory imagery as well. When Bishop writes, "The palm trees clatter in the stiff breeze / like the bills of the pelicans. The tropical rain comes down / to freshen the tide-looped strings of fading shells," (21-23) one can almost hear the "clatter" of the palm trees and smell the fresh "tropical rain." Bishop's intimate knowledge of Florida's seacoast not only enabled her to write a beautiful poem, it also makes her audience want to visit Florida.
