Point of View

A majority of Elizabeth Bishop's poems are written from the point of view of third person omniscient. The third person point of view allows the reader to have access to all information while reading the poem, a view that is particularly important when attempting to capture the whole essence of the grandeur of the sea, its whimsical and colorful creatures, the rocks, cliffs and caves, as well as the people who inhabit the seaside villages and slums in a land as foreign as Brazil. The third person point of view also allows the reader to comprehend life and times that are different enough that any other point of view would not be able to convey the actions of the characters in the stories.

The first person point of view is used in a number of circumstances, although the two points of view do not mix. Elizabeth...