Elizabeth Bishop's Poem Filling Station

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Elizabeth Bishop's Poem "Filling Station"

In poetry many elements are used to bring life to a literary work. Some of these include style, structure, imagery, diction, and allusion. In Elizabeth Bishop's poem, Filling Station, the author uses them skillfully to create meaning in a story that otherwise would be banal. Her usage of expressive details supports the writing which helps the reader to imagine what the author is describing. Her style also appeals to the readers emotions and imagination to draw them into her harsh reality.

One of the elements that she uses to engage the reader is through the use of diction. In the first verse, the author opens by describing the setting as dirty. She further supports this in lines 3 - 5 by stating that the station is "oil-soaked", "oil-permeated", "over-all black translucency". These compound phrases gives the reader a clear image of the unpleasant environment that the author is portraying to the reader. In the second verse, the author introduces the father, a character who embodies his surrounding environment. Dressed in what the author describes as "a dirty, oil-soaked monkey suit" which does not even fit the character's stature, the reader can infer that the family is living under poor conditions. This is further confirmed when the author describes the son's appearance as "greasy" and "throughly dirty".

In the next verse, the author moves away from the disgusting scene of the gas station and uses vivid imagery...

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