The Fish
wadethrough black jade.Of the crow-blue mussel shells, onekeepsadjusting the ash heaps;opening and shutting itself like
aninjured fan.The barnacles which encrust thesideof the wave, cannot hidethere for the submerged shafts of the
sun,split like spunglass, move themselves with spotlike swift-nessinto the crevices—in and out, illuminating
theturquoise seaof bodies. The water drives awedgeof iron through the iron edgeof the cliff, whereupon the stars,
pinkrice grains, inkbespattered jelly-fish, crabs likegreenlilies and submarinetoadstools, slide each on the other.
Allexternalmarks of abuse are present onthisdefiant edifice—all the physical features of
ac-cident—lackof cornice, dynamite grooves, burnsandhatchet strokes, these things standout on it; the chasm side is
dead.Repeatedevidence has proved that it canliveon what cannot reviveits youth. The sea grows old in it.
Words in this poem
- wade n.
- Woad. Mortimer.
- encrust v. t.
- To incrust. See Incrust.
- whereupon adv.
- Upon which; in consequence of which; after which.
- defiant a.
- Full of defiance; bold; insolent; as, a defiant spirit or act. [Cf. F. défiant, p. pr. of défier. See Defy.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Fish is in the public domain. This text is taken from Poems, Project Gutenberg ebook #62833; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Marianne Moore, The Fish, in Poems (1921), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #62833, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/moore-poems/the-fish.html, id L02628.
Form and metre
The Fish is 48 lines in 8 stanzas of 6 lines each. 92% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 4.6 syllables. 6 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 75% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AA-BB- wadeA · jadeA · one · keepsB · heapsB · like
- 2 AABCCB anA · fanA · theB · sideC · hideC · theB
- 3 AA---- sunA · spunA · swift · ness · crevices · illuminating
- 4 AAABB- theA · seaA · aA · wedgeB · edgeB · stars
- 5 AA-BB- pinkA · inkA · like · greenB · submarineB · other
- 6 AA-BB- allA · externalA · on · thisB · edificeB · of
- 7 ---AA- ac · lack · burns · andA · standA · is
- 8 AA-BB- deadA · repeatedA · can · liveB · reviveB · it
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| wade | 1 | · |
| through black jade. | 3 | ··· |
| Of the crow-blue mussel shells, one | 8 | ····/˘·· |
| keeps | 1 | · |
| adjusting the ash heaps; | 6 | ˘/˘··· |
| opening and shutting itself like | 9 | /˘˘·/˘˘/· |
| an | 1 | · |
| injured fan. | 3 | /˘· |
| The barnacles which encrust the | 8 | ·/˘˘·˘/· |
| side | 1 | · |
| of the wave, cannot hide | 6 | ···/˘· |
| there for the submerged shafts of the | 8 | ···˘/··· |
| sun, | 1 | · |
| split like spun | 3 | ··· |
| glass, move themselves with spotlike swift- | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| ness | 1 | · |
| into the crevices— | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| in and out, illuminating | 8 | ···˘/˘·˘ |
| the | 1 | · |
| turquoise sea | 3 | /˘· |
| of bodies. The water drives a | 8 | ·/˘·/˘·· |
| wedge | 1 | · |
| of iron through the iron edge | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| of the cliff, whereupon the stars, | 8 | ···/˘/·· |
| pink | 1 | · |
| rice grains, ink | 3 | ··· |
| bespattered jelly-fish, crabs like | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| green | 1 | · |
| lilies and submarine | 6 | /˘·/˘· |
| toadstools, slide each on the other. | 8 | ······/˘ |
| All | 1 | · |
| external | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| marks of abuse are present on | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| this | 1 | · |
| defiant edifice— | 6 | ˘/˘/˘˘ |
| all the physical features of | 8 | ··/˘˘/˘· |
| ac- | 2 | // |
| cident—lack | 3 | ··· |
| of cornice, dynamite grooves, burns | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| and | 1 | · |
| hatchet strokes, these things stand | 6 | /˘···· |
| out on it; the chasm side is | 8 | ····/˘·· |
| dead. | 1 | · |
| Repeated | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| evidence has proved that it can | 8 | /˘˘····· |
| live | 1 | · |
| on what cannot revive | 6 | ··/˘˘/ |
| its youth. The sea grows old in it. | 8 | ········ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.