ONE ART by Elizabeth Bishop

Elizabeth Bishop’s stunning poem about dealing with loss has inspired and comforted readers since it was published in 1976  Avoiding easy answers as always, in One Art Bishop challenges us to formulate a response to continuing losses and to begin to understand them. 

The repeating lines of the villanelle form create a structure which perfectly expresses the poems meaning. Through readings and discussion, we will work together towards a greater understanding of this moving poem.