The Mountain

“In the Waiting Room” by Elizabeth Bishop (1971)

Like “The Mountain,” “In the Waiting Room” deals with themes of mortality, individuality, and a sense of anxiety over both. Unlike “The Mountain,” which is a persona poem, Bishop writes explicitly from her own memories and autobiographical material, going so far as to call herself out by the name “Elizabeth.” This is one of Bishop’s more personal poems, and though it recounts an occurrence she had at the age of six, she did not publish it until 1971, several years after she explored the same themes in “The Mountain.”

“Crusoe in England” by Elizabeth Bishop (1971)

This is another of Bishop’s persona pieces. The fictional character of Robinson Crusoe, from the book of the same name, recalls the time he spent on the island in isolation from other people except Friday. The poem explores themes of isolation and alienation as well as the physical geography of the island and how it enforces that isolation. The only other character to appear is Friday, who Crusoe notes had “a pretty body.” This may be Bishop’s veiled allusion to her own sexuality and the companionship she finds with other members of the same sex.