Fish

Fish symbolize vulnerability. At times, the fish in the poem represent the various suitors the beloved may have, and thus they are made vulnerable by their attraction to the beloved. Other times, fish represent the beloved herself, as the speaker finds himself lucky to be able to "catch" her. As the poem unfolds, the role of the fish shifts back and forth between creatures of passivity and creatures of pursuit, suggesting the poem's interest in the manifestation of mutuality in romantic love.

Fishermen

Fishermen symbolize power and pursuit. At the beginning of the poem, the beloved is compared to a fisherman who attracts all the fish to her through her simple desirability. The speaker asserts at the end of the poem that the beloved has no need for traditional fishing methods, criticizing those who pursue erotic love through power and force alone. At different times in...