In (love song, with two goldfish), Chua conveys the development and deterioration of the relationship between to goldfish. By consistently comparing and contrasting their actions to those of humans, she able to reflect upon the latter’s imperfections through an extended metaphor. In other words, by personifying these creatures, we are allowed a glimpse into human behavior that would otherwise go unnoticed. Consequently reaffirming our belief that Goldfish Bowls and love don’t mix well together.
The poem opens with the lines ‘one day they will wake up / and find that they have lost something’, already emphasizing the sense of loss and emptiness that will come to characterize the goldfish’s relationship. The speaker describes how the goldfish ‘will search/ for what they had in each other’, but will never find it because ‘it was never really there to begin with’. Through these lines, Chua is saying that often times we search for happiness in others instead of looking within ourselves. We try to find what we lack in others, and when we can’t we feel disappointed.
The poem then goes on to say how the goldfish will start to bicker and ‘nibble at each other’. Chua uses the word ‘nibble’ to gently convey how the goldfish will start to pick at each other, emphasizing the small things that eventually lead to the downfall of a relationship. The speaker describes how the goldfish will ‘blow bubbles of anger’ and ‘chase their own tails in circles’. These lines are representative of how we often get caught up in our own emotions and end up going in circles, never really resolving anything.
The final stanza of the poem is particularly powerful, as it speaks to the sense of despair that can come from a failed relationship. The speaker describes how the goldfish will ‘try to climb out of the bowl’, but will never be able to because ‘they will always be goldfish’. This speaks to the idea that we can never really escape our problems, no matter how hard we try.
The poem ends on a hopeful note, however, with the lines ‘but one day they will forget / and they will swim towards each other again’. This represents the idea that time heals all wounds and that we are capable of moving on from even the most painful experiences.
Grace Chua’s poem (love song, with two goldfish) is a beautiful and insightful look at the human condition. Through her use of extended metaphor, Chua highlights some of the flaws in our nature, but also speaks to our capacity for resilience and hope. This poem is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the pain of a failed relationship.
By using fish as a metaphor for human emotions and behaviors, Chua draws direct parallels between the two. The reader can form a more objective opinion of how bizarre our behavior really is by understanding this extended metaphor. The mindlessness of the human condition is primarily expressed by Chua through her structure and use of extended metaphors.
Grace Chua’s “Love Song, With Two Goldfish” is a short poem that portrays the human condition in a unique and interesting way. By using fish as a metaphor for humans, Chua highlights the often bizarre and mindless behaviors that we exhibit.
The poem is structured in such a way that it follows the thoughts of one fish as it observes the other fish (which represent two people in a relationship). The first fish starts off by listing all of the things that it loves about the other fish, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. However, as the poem progresses, the first fish becomes increasingly critical of the other fish, pointing out all of its flaws and shortcomings. In the end, the first fish concludes that the other fish is actually quite boring and ordinary, and that there is nothing special about it after all.
The extended metaphor of the two goldfish highlights the often mindless and repetitive behaviors that humans exhibit in relationships. We often get caught up in the small details and fail to see the big picture. We become so focused on finding fault in others that we forget to appreciate them for who they are. Grace Chua’s “Love Song, With Two Goldfish” is a reminder to us all to step back and take a look at the bigger picture every once in awhile.
Enjambement in the second and third stanzas Call attention to how Falling in love can make humans act like mindless goldfish.Chua creates this effect by comparing the process of falling in love to that of a Goldfish throughout the poem(Extended metaphor)
This is juxtaposed with the speaker and the listener both experiencing love. The act of falling in love is often seen as something that happens without thinking, which is how people often view goldfish. Grace Chua uses this to her advantage to show that love knows no boundaries, not even species.
The fourth stanza introduces a new character, the snake. The snake is a threat to the goldfish and their love. It’s placement at the end of the stanza suggests that it’s the obstacle that they must overcome. This could be interpreted as a symbol for all the challenges that a couple faces when they’re together. No matter what obstacles are thrown their way, they’ll always find a way to overcome them because their love is strong.
The final stanza is a resolution of sorts. The speakers come to the realization that they’re not goldfish, they’re people. This means that they’re capable of so much more than just swimming aimlessly in a fishbowl. They have the capacity to love and be loved, and that’s something special. Grace Chua ends the poem on a hopeful note, suggesting that even though love can be confusing and difficult at times, it’s always worth it in the end.
When Chua chose to use goldfish as an example, she was trying to express how mindless love can be and how anybody is capable of falling into it. This view goes against the typical belief that love is complex and difficult to understand. Nevertheless, even though Chua portrays love as something not too difficult to comprehend, she still maintainsthat it can be a feeling diffcult to deal with when things go wrong.”
The speaker in the poem tries to understand love by thinking of all the things that she does for her loved one, and how those things are just like what a goldfish needs. However, in the end, she realises that love is something that cannot be completely understood, and that it is just as fickle as a goldfish.