ONE ART (ELIZABETH BISHOP)
REFERENCE: These lines have been taken from “One Art”written by “Elizabeth Bishop.”
CONTEXT: In this poem, the poetess tells that no loss can bring disaster in our life if we have courage and patience to bear any loss with a smiling face. She wants to train us in this art of losing things because the art of losing things is not hard to master.
EXPLANATION: This is a didactic poem because the poetess is giving us a very beautiful moral lesson. Actually, the poetess believes that God has given us so many things. He can snatch these things from us whenever He wants. When He snatches something from us, there is something better for us in future. “What cannot be cured must be endured.” In the given lines, the poetess wants to tell that so many things have the intention to be lost but their loss does not bring any disaster. She gives examples from her personal life experiences that she lost her beautiful houses, a continent and two rivers which were very dear to her but she did not feel any dejection after their loss. Now she is ready even to lose her lover whom she loves passionately. The idea of the poem is very clear. The poetess wants to inculcate in us the spirit of patience and resignation to face any loss. It is not an easy job but we can learn it if we have courage.