The Art of Losing (may or may not be hard to master)

In her poem “One Art,” Elizabeth Bishop explores the struggle of coping with loss. She utilizes a variation of the villanelle as a vehicle for demonstrating the gap between her outward portrayal of her feelings and what she really means. At first glance, the poem appears to be a spiteful renunciation of her relationship, an almost writing-off of the pain of love lost; however, a shift in tone and a deviation from the standard rules of the villanelle in the sixth stanza of the poem indicate a different sentiment.

The first five stanzas of “One Art” are told in a firm, determined tone. Bishop is so adamant in her belief that “the art of losing isn’t hard to master,” that she repeats it three times in the first fifteen lines of the poem. Only in the final stanza does Bishop’s resolute attitude falter. Subtle changes in the repeated lines of the poem reveal her true feelings. She pauses (as denoted by the dash) before beginning to talk about “losing you.” Rather than her classic adage, she says, “it’s evident the art of losing’s not too hard to master.” When saying “it’s evident,” it is almost as though she is trying convince herself of the insignificance of her loss. By saying it’s “not too hard to master,” she concedes that the mastery of “the art of losing” was somewhat difficult. Furthermore, when she says “Even losing you,” she gives the reader yet another clue as to how much she valued the love.

Throughout the poem, Bishop lists things she has lost. As the poem progresses, the size and importance of the lost possessions increases. They go from the mundane, such as door keys and a watch, to the more complex, like places and names, to “vast” realms and cities, and finally, to love. That Bishop builds the poem to culminate with the loss of love demonstrates the importance she places on it even though she addresses each item with a similar nonchalance. Although she would like us to believe otherwise, Bishop does not really view house keys and love as being comparable; however, through such comparisons she attempts to convince herself that they are equals as a means of coping with the overwhelming loss.

As per classic villanelle conventions, the final line of each stanza is an alternating word of opposing meaning (think back to the repetition of “night” and “light” in “Do Not Go Quietly into That Good Night”). Bishop is either the “master” of her pain or it will cause “disaster.” Only in the final line is this pattern broken when Bishop repeats the word “disaster” alluding to her true feelings. Also in the final line of the poem, the speaker interrupts herself with a parenthetical command, one that is italicized, capitalized, and followed by an exclamation point. Clearly, it is an important interjection. By having to order herself to “Write it!” it is as though she is resistant to saying that losing a love is not hard to master, but forces herself to do so.

“One Art” demonstrates a method of coping with the pain of loss. By convincing herself that the loss of a love was “not a disaster,” and trivializing and masking her grief, Bishop forces herself to survive. By using an altered villanelle form, she draws attentions to the clues that reveal her true feelings, giving the reader insight into what she really means.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does Bishop mean by the cities, realms, rivers, and continent? Should these possessions be meant literally? If not, what do they represent?

2. What do you think Bishop means when she says “I shan’t have lied”?

3. Do you think the speaker has successfully convinced herself?

4. How is the speaker portrayed? Do you like her or dislike her by the end of the poem?