Marianne Moore’s “The Fish” is a masterpiece of startling images, rich metaphors, and original verse forms. In shifting lines of syllabic verse, the speaker carefully inspects a tidal scene, studying the marine life and the crash of the surf with a curiosity-tinged with melancholy. Moore uses a varied palette of metaphors to draw unexpected connections and push our imaginations into fresh territory.

Skills: analysis, drawing inferences from text, close reading, identifying the relationship between words

About This Document

The Owl Eyes Analyzing Metaphor activity gives students an opportunity to practice examining and analyzing metaphors. Students will engage with specific selections of the text and work collaboratively to identify the vehicle, tenor, and implications of each metaphor. The main components include the following:

• A brief introduction to the text
• A detailed handout on metaphor types
• A step-by-step guide to activity procedure
• A detailed answer key for teachers

In completing this worksheet, students will learn to classify and analyze different kinds of metaphors in order to develop close reading skills and draw deeper inferences from the text.