1. Summary: A Struggle with Pride
The poem is about a man who has hit rock bottom due to alcoholism. He lives in a filthy pigsty, but his ego and pride keep him there. He keeps telling himself he can handle it, but eventually, the loneliness and the misery of his situation force him to give up his pride and make the hard decision to go home.
2. The Allusion: The Prodigal Son
This is a retelling of the Biblical Parable. In the Bible, the son returns home and is immediately forgiven. Bishop’s poem focuses on the struggle before the return—the moment when the man is still stuck in the mud, trying to decide if he is ready to ask for help.
3. Two Key Images of Contrast
The “Burning Puddles” (False Reassurance)
“the burning puddles seemed to reassure”
- Why it stands out: At the end of the first stanza, the bright sunlight makes the filthy puddles look beautiful. This deceives the man. It makes him feel like he can “endure his exile” for another year. His ego uses this beauty as an excuse not to go home yet.
The “Ark” (Loneliness vs. Comfort)
“Safe and companionable as in the ark”
- Why it stands out: The man looks at the pigs and sees them as “safe” and happy under their “clouds of hay,” like animals in Noah’s Ark.
- The Contrast: This highlights his own loneliness. The animals belong there and are comfortable; he does not belong there and is miserable. He is a human living like an animal.
4. Key Techniques and Themes
Personification of the Smell
“The brown enormous odor he lived by”
- The smell is described as a living thing that he can no longer ‘judge.’ It shows how the man’s addiction and his environment have taken over his entire life, he cannot escape the “enormous” reality of his situation.
The “First Star” (The Warning)
In the second stanza, the star comes to “warn” him. While the sun made him want to stay, the evening star reminds him of how dark and lonely his life truly is. It acts as a wake-up call.
Theme: Overcoming Ego and Second Chances
The poem is about the battle with the ego.
- The man stays in the pigsty because he is too proud to admit defeat.
- The “second chance” only happens when he finally stops making excuses. The final line, “He finally made up his mind to go home,” shows that he has finally overcome his pride and accepted the need for forgiveness.
Key Tip for the Exam:
Mention that the poem is about addiction. The “burning puddles” represent the moments when a person in a bad situation convinces themselves everything is “fine,” while the “star” represents the moment of truth when they realise they need to change.
The Personal Connection: Bishop and Alcoholism
Elizabeth Bishop struggled with alcoholism for most of her life. She knew exactly what it felt like to be trapped in a cycle of shame and “exile” because of an addiction.
- The Pigsty as a Metaphor: The filth, the “enormous odor,” and the “burning puddles” aren’t just about a farm; they represent the darkness of addiction.
- The Struggle to Leave: Just as the man in the poem keeps making excuses to stay “another year or more,” Bishop experienced how addiction can make a person feel stuck, even when they know their life is falling apart.