Throughout “The Moose,” several rhetorical figures can be found, such as parenthesis, anaphora, epanalepsis, alliteration, assonance, and simile. All of the figures work within the poem to call attention to particular words or phrases of significance or to bring about an emotional connection between author and reader.
Parenthesis
One of the main rhetorical figures seen in the poem is parenthesis. Parenthesis is when additional information is inserted into a phrase or sentence that interrupts the way a sentence flows. This is found in a number of places in “The Moose.” One specific example of this is found near the end of the poem after the moose has interrupted the bus’s journey:
Why, why do we feel
(we all feel) this sweet
sensation of joy?
The insertion of the “(we all feel)” in the sentence is Bishop’s way of coming though to the readers, commenting on the action of the poem. By doing this, it brings a personal feel to the poem by including the author’s voice. This creates the feeling of a conversation between the poem’s speaker and the reader.
Anaphora
Another rhetorical figure see in “The Moose” is anaphora. Anaphora is the repetition of the same word or words at the beginning of successive lines. For example, anaphora is found in the second stanza, “the bay coming in, / the bay not at home.”
The repetition of the words “bay” at the beginning of the successive lines gets the reader’s attention, suggesting there is some significance to the word. In this case, it seems as though a bay would be significant in the beginning of this poem because a bay is a sheltered part of a larger body of water. This could represent the area that the bus is leaving; it is sheltered and safe, like a bay.
Epanalepsis
Similarly to anaphora, another rhetorical figure that involves repetition is seen in “The Moose.” Epanalepsis is the repetition of the word that begins a clause at the end of a clause. For instance, Bishop uses this device in the line “Now, it’s all right now.” This rhetorical figure is used to create extra emphasis or a highly emotional effect. The repetition of the word “now” twice in one line brings notice to it.
The reason for this could be to stress that at that particular moment, “now,” everything seemed safe and normal, but something would soon interrupt the habitual and comfortable lives of the passengers. Indeed, in the same stanza, the bus is halted, and the moose appears. Therefore, the epanalepsis is used to stress that things would be the way they were only for an instant, thus the repetition of “now.”
Alliteration and Assonance
Also rhetorical figures using repetition, alliteration and assonance are both repetitive uses of the same sounds. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds of two or more words found close together. This is seen in several places in “The Moose.” A couple of examples of this would be: “sometimes the sun sets,” “a dreamy divagation,” and “curious creatures.” This is used to create a rhythmic effect in the poem.
Assonance is a similar concept, but except for repeating consonants, assonance is the repetition of similar vowel sounds in the stressed syllables of words which are close to one another. An example of this would be: “the passengers lie back.” This is also used in regard to the rhythmic effect of the poem.
Simile
A sixth type of rhetorical figure used in “The Moose” is the simile. A simile is a comparison of two seemingly unlike things. The poem contains several similes, but the most prominent use of similes are seen in the fifth to last stanza. In this stanza, Bishop describes the moose that has interrupted the bus journey with the use of three successive similes. When she is describing the moose, she states that it is:
high as a church,
homely as a house
(or, safe as houses)
The reason for using a simile would be to make the two things seem similar. In this case, Bishop is comparing the moose to a church and a house, and she is characterizing it as homely and safe. All of these things are non-threatening to the passengers. Therefore, it seems as though these similes are used to show how the moose is not something that the passengers fear.
Overall, the use of these rhetorical figures seems to be very effective in “The Moose.” They draw attention to specific words and phrases of significance and create an emotional effect. The rhetorical figures in this poem reinforce the meaning and enhance the feelings being conveyed by the author.
Bishop, Elizabeth. “The Moose.” The Complete Poems: 1927-1979. Eds. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. New York: Paw Prints, 1983.
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