"One Art" Analysis

In her poem, "One Art," Elizabeth Bishop constructs a poem that reveals a struggle with mastering the issue of loss. Through the use of a villanelle, Bishop utilizes the significance of structure and word choice to further the meaning of her work. Bishop crescendos each stanza to create a firm foundation for the dramatic conclusion, and incorporates expressive words throughout the poem to illuminate the last stanza's attitude shift from that of carelessness to seriousness.
The villanelle form is a type of love poem and Elizabeth Bishop's use of this is appropriate for her poem about lost l…