Analysis (ai): "Little Exercise" by Elizabeth Bishop presents a detached and almost matter-of-fact account of a storm. The poem's tone is one of calm observation, even as the storm rages around the speaker. This detachment is evident in the poem's opening lines, which personify the storm as "a dog looking for a place to sleep in."

The poem's imagery is precise and evocative, creating a vivid picture of the storm and its effects. Bishop uses the image of "mangrove keys" to suggest the desolation of the landscape, while the "heron" that "undoes his head" is a solitary figure amidst the chaos. The "boulevard" and "little palm trees" are also depicted as victims of the storm, their appearance transformed into "fistfuls of limp fish-skeletons."

The poem's structure is episodic, with each stanza describing a different aspect of the storm. This structure creates a sense of fragmentation and disorientation, reflecting the speaker's own sense of alienation from the natural world. The poem ends with the speaker's thoughts turning to someone "sleeping in the bottom of a row-boat," a figure who is somehow able to remain undisturbed by the storm. This image suggests a sense of hope or resilience, even in the face of adversity.

Compared to Bishop's other works, "Little Exercise" is more restrained and less overtly emotional. The speaker's tone is more detached and observational, and there is less of the personal lyricism that characterizes many of Bishop's other poems. However, the poem is still a powerful and moving evocation of the natural world, and it captures the sense of wonder and awe that Bishop often felt in the face of nature. (hide)