Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Sourgen, Gavin

Abstract

At the 1993 Key West Literary Seminar dedicated to poet Elizabeth Bishop, Merrill shared his poem “The Kimono” and “The Victor Dog”, which he dedicated to Bishop. He then recited three short poems by Bishop: “Exchanging Hats”, “The Shampoo”, and ended with “One Art.” The event is crucial to understanding Bishop’s influence on Merrill’s work as a valuable resource that provides insight directly from the authoritative wordsmith. Close reading the poems side-by-side allows for comprehension and appreciation of their friendship and work. The indirect confessional mode, traditional forms, and literary devices of Bishop’s poems are found in Merrill’s work as well. Examining “Overdue Pilgrimage to Nova Scotia”—not only as Merrill’s late elegy for Bishop but as his ultimate attempt to contend with her loss and understand her guidance—provides a thorough fleshing out of his relationship with Bishop and its effect on his life and work.

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Extent

87 p.

Identifier

FAUHT00087

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