Bobber
On the Columbia River near Vantage, Washington, we fished for whitefish in the winter months; my dad, Swede- Mr. Lindgren-and me. They used belly-reels, pencil-length sinkers, red, yellow, or brown flies baited with maggots. They wanted distance and went clear out there to the edge of the riffle. I fished near shore with a quill bobber and a cane pole. My dad kept his maggots alive and warm under his lower lip. Mr. Lindgren didn't drink. I liked him better than my dad for a time. He lets me steer his car, teased me about my name "Junior," and said one day I'd grow into a fine man, remember all this, and fish with my own son. But my dad was right. I mean he kept silent and looked into the river, worked his tongue, like a thought, behind the bait. |
Poets maintain differing relationships with their inspiration, the form in which they reveal this relationship helps the reader to accurately interpret the material. For some poets, inspiration is linked to an ecosystem or region. Focusing on poetry in Washington state through an ecopoetic lens reveals diverse use of form. Raymond Carver provides an excellent example of how ecopoets use structure to express tone, control the tension of a narrative, and connect readers with deeper messages. Carver consistently modifies the structure of Bobber to dictate the focus of his narrative. The poem begins with a very simple and symmetric three lines, “On the Columbia River near Vantage, / Washington, we fished for whitefish / in the winter months; my…” This effectively outlines a background for the reader to contextualize a deeper storyline. The simple format conveys a mellow tone and makes it easy for any reader to soak in essential background details, preparing them for deeper story developments. For those that can relate to the geographic location, winter fishing is a somewhat strenuous activity, a subliminal suspense is therefore built into the setting of the story.
Carver manipulates structure to call attention to Lindgren and build tension. This occurs within the first stanza of the poem and foreshadows the development of an attitude towards him, “my dad, Swede- / Mr. Lindgren-and me” There is a clear shift on the fourth line of the poem where Raymond is separated from his father by Lindgren. A conventional term of respect structurally segregates Raymond and Lindgren from Carver’s father. It calls the reader’s attention to this social dynamic and is a recurring feature throughout the work. After these repetitive shifts have outlined social tension, Carver resumes a digestible simplicity to express an introspective dimension to the story. Following the speaker’s admission of fondness for Mr. Lindgren, Carver uses a traditional stanza to diffuse the reader’s trepidation and characterize Lindgren with respect to Carver’s father: “He lets me steer his car, teased me / about my name ‘Junior,’ and said / one day I'd grow into a fine man, remember / all this, and fish with my own son.” These lines indicate that the poem is centrally concerned with the relationship between the speaker and his father, a deceptive move on behalf of Carver as the poem concludes with an introspective focus on Carver’s relationship with his own children. The final stanza upends most assumptions a reader has cultivated from the preceding lines of poetry. Carver uses a shift that focuses readers on the poem’s duality of perspective. “But my dad was right. I mean / he kept silent and looked into the river, / worked his tongue, like a thought, behind the bait.” This change demonstrates that the stanza glorifying Mr. Lindgren’s characteristics is not intended as a comparison with the characteristics of the father. Instead, they illustrate Carver’s realization that his relationship with his father mirrors his relationship with his own children. He admits that Mr. Lindgren’s assumptions were destined to be inaccurate and his father’s reservations confirmed. The final two lines of the poem resume the narrative within the same stanza to demonstrate how retrospective and introspective themes have run parallel throughout the poem. Raymond Carver possessed a vast repertoire of writing techniques. His work can be read as ecopoetic and is particularly interesting for its use of unorthodox structure. His strategic use of varying structures, pulls the reader through his narrative in a purposeful way. Bobber is poem built upon the foundation of Carver’s intimate connection with the Columbia River and fishing, an activity where specific regions are visited based on the season, giving meaning to his uses of location as a backdrop to explore inter-generational and paternal relations. Carver’s subtle and intimate expressions in “Bobber” demonstrate the power of an ecopoetic reading. By Cole Martinez |
Raymond Carver Biography
Raymond Carver was born in Clatskanie Oregon in 1938 and grew up in Yakima Washington. He spent much of his time hunting and fishing around eastern Washington as a child and developed a strong emotional attachment with the region. In 1956 he graduated high school and married Maryann Burk who gave birth to his first child the following year. Soon after he moved his young family to California to attend Chico college and began his career as a writer.
He was working and attending Sacramento college when his first published piece “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” became popular and successful in 1967. From there on Carver taught as a special lecturer at numerous universities and continued to write short stories and poetry full time. A serious alcoholic, addiction was a battle all of Carver’s life. He died in 1988 from lung cancer at the age of 50.
He was working and attending Sacramento college when his first published piece “Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?” became popular and successful in 1967. From there on Carver taught as a special lecturer at numerous universities and continued to write short stories and poetry full time. A serious alcoholic, addiction was a battle all of Carver’s life. He died in 1988 from lung cancer at the age of 50.