Quote by Elizabeth Bishop: “What is that ugly thing in the water, looking at me?”

This quote captures a moment of raw, unadorned observation and surprise. It reflects a child-like curiosity mixed with mild apprehension when confronting something unfamiliar in nature, prompting a deeper, instinctual reaction rather than an intellectual one.

From 'The Fish,' a poem where the speaker catches and eventually releases a large, scarred fish. The line illustrates Bishop's keen eye for detail and ability to imbue the ordinary with profound significance, often through direct observation.

American poet known for her precise, restrained verse and her long residency in Brazil. Her collection Geography III, which contains One Art, won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1976; she was the first American to win the Neustadt International Prize for Literature.