WordsWortha ThousandPostcards:
The Bishop/ Moore Correspondence
LYNN KELLER
University of Wisconsin-Madison
O
oncein herlifedidElizabeth
Bishopattempt
tomeetsomeone she admired,and thatpersonwas MarianneMoore.1The
meetingwas arrangedby FannyBorden,a friendof Mooreand the
librarianat VassarCollege,who had discoveredBishop'sinterest
in
Moore'spoetrywhen she inquiredwhy the librarydid not have a
copyof Observations.
Writingto thankMs. Borden,Bishopreferred
to theintroduction
as "the mostvaluableeventof my last yearat
,NLY
Vassar."2
By thatspringof 1934, Bishop was alreadywritingpoetryand
fiction(thoughshe didn'trevealthisto Mooreuntiltheyhad been
acquaintedfor severalmonths).' At Vassar she was among the
students
who starteda literary
magazine,Con Spirito,and herwork
had also appearedin the VassarReviewand in a Californiapublicationcalled The Magazine.Accordingto Bishop'sretrospective
testimony,Moore's work had alreadyhad an influenceon her own:
"whenI beganto read yourpoetryat collegeI thinkit immediately
openedup my eyesto the possibility
I could
of the subject-matter
useand mightneverhavethought
ofusingifithadn'tbeenforyou.(I mightnot have writtenany poems at all, I suppose.)"4Their
I George Starbuck, "'The Work!': A Conversation with Elizabeth Bishop," Ploutghshares,
3, Nos. 3 and 4 (1977), 24.
2 Letter of 26 June 1934 in the Elizabeth Bishop Collection, Rare Books and Manuscripts,
Vassar College Library, Poughkeepsie, New York. My thanks to the Vassar College Library
for permission to examine lettersin that collection, hereaftercited parentheticallyas VC. My
thanks to Alice Methfessel for permission to examine and quote from Elizabeth Bishop's letters and to Clive E. Driver for permission to examine and quote from Marianne Moore's
letters.I have tried to reproduce exactly the texts of the letters,without normalizing spelling
or punctuation. Previously unpublished writings of Marianne Moore copyright ? 1983 by
Clive E. Driver, LiteraryExecutor of the Estate of Marianne C. Moore.
3 Starbuck,p. 25.
4 Letter from Bishop to Moore, 24 Oct. I954, in the Marianne Moore Collection at the
Rosenbach Museum and Library, Philadelphia, Penna. My thanks to the Rosenbach Museum
and Library for allowing me to examine letters in that collection, hereafter cited parentheticallyas RM.
American Literatuire,Volume 55, Number 3, October 1983. Copyright ?
UniversityPress.
1983 by Duke
406
American Literature
of
theinfluence
didmorethanreinforce
however,
encounter,
personal
of a strong
thedevelopment
work.It initiated
Moore'spublished
thatlasteduntilMoore'sdeathin 1972, and it prompted
friendship
career.
ofBishop's
literary
intheprogress
involvement
Moore'sdirect
in Bishop'scareerand
of Moore'sinterest
evidence
Considerable
forsometime:in
hasbeenavailable
on Bishop'spoetry
herinfluence
were
inan anthology,
they
appeared
byBishopfirst
1935, whenpoems
published
first
volume,
;5 Bishop's
byMoore'scommentary
introduced
reviewin theNation;6
in 1946,was greeted
byMoore'scelebratory
on other
Bishop-sooftencoy or reticent
in herrareinterviews,
Moore
toward
hergratitude
acknowledged
topics-hasrepeatedly
havefrequently
andreviewers
forherwork;critics
and admiration
manneras
thepoets,in theirdescriptive
between
notedsimilarities
bothsidesof the Bishop/
well as theirsubjectmatter.
Recently,
havebecomeavailable;7we can now deterMoorecorrespondence
howandhowmuchMooreguidedandshaped
minemoreprecisely
I
thosequestions,
Beforeaddressing
development.
Bishop'sartistic
a
and
rough
provide
will briefly
thecorrespondence
characterize
ofitsstages.
sketch
chronological
without
ElizabethBishopand MarianneMoore corresponded
from1934 to 1970;
frequency,
interruption,
thoughwithvarying
and 200 of Moore'ssurvive.
approximately
i5o of Bishop'sletters
Moorewroteherpriorto28 July
theletters
Bishopfailedtopreserve
1935
April1937 and
between
written
as wellas allbuttwoofthose
moving
March1942 (thetwodatefrom1940). Bishop'scontinual
winters
Europe,spending
through
fromplaceto place-travelling
in NorthCarolina,New York,or New
in Floridaand summers
kept
fortheselosses.Moore,however,
accounts
England-probably
so we have
orcopiesofmorethana dozenofherownletters,
drafts
textsforsix of thoseBishoplost.Mooresucceededin preserving
sideof
1942, butgapsin Bishop's
through
nearlyall Bishop'sletters
overthemid and late '40s and
are scattered
the correspondence
early'sos.
of what
of thecorrespondence-either
Changesin thefrequency
5 Ann Winslow, ed., Trial Balances (New York: Macmillan, I935), pp. 78-83.
6 Marianne Moore, "A Modest Expert," Nation, I63 (28 Sept. I946),
354.
7 Bishop allowed some scholars to see her letters in the Moore Archives during the mid
I70s. In the late '70s she stopped granting those permissions, but in I98I Alice Methfessel,
the executrix of Bishop's estate, again made access possible. Moore's lettersthat were among
Bishop's papers became available, with permission,in September I982.
The Bishop / Moore Correspondence
407
or of whatwe can confidently
inferexisted-mark
the
survives
flowed
majorstagesin BishopandMoore'srelationship.8
The letters
mostrapidlybetween1935 and 194o-abouta dozen letters
per
to thisperiodas theapprenticecorrespondent
peryear.I willrefer
toMoore
ship,forBishopwasthensending
mostofhermanuscripts
whileMoorewas
forcriticism
before
submitting
themtopublishers,
intotheliterary
world.In theearly'40s the
guidingBishop'sentry
intensity
oftheexchange
diminished
slightly
anditsnature
changed
sinceBishopwas no longershowingMooreherunpublished
work.
After1945 and thepublication
of
ofNorth& South,thefrequency
theletters
andbythe'5osandearly'6oseachwoman
declined
further,
wrotea maximum
a year,sometimes
offouror fiveletters
onlyone
or two.Thisperiod,whenBishopwas livingin Brazil,appearsto
havebeenthehappiest
in herlife,
as well as themostproductive
and itwas thebusiest
periodin Moore's.AftertheI95I publication
of her CollectedPoems,Moorebecamea celebrity
witha hectic
schedule
ofpublicappearances
thatbarelylefttimeforworkon her
translation
ofLa Fontaineoron herownpoemsandessays.
At this
bothwomenhadlittleneedforoneanother's
stage,
support,
andthey
foundlittle
timeforwriting
eachotherletters.
Thelate'6os,however,
weredifficult
yearsforbothBishopandMoore,andtheywrotemore
oftento encourage
eachother.Afterthedeathof Lota de Macedo
Soares,Bishop'sbelovedcompanion
forfifteen
years,Mooretried
towritefrequently
(tenletters
in I968), although
failinghealthdid
notallowhertokeepthatup forlong.Herlastletter,
written
in the
fallof I969, was dictated,
and thoughsheattempted
thesignature
a barelylegiblescratching.
twice,it remained
Bishopwroteseveral
andpostcards
letters
in 1970, providing
lovingsupport
forherslowly
dyingfriend,
then83 yearsold.In thoselastletters
shetellsMoore
thatthebeautiful
homeshe is restoring
in thehistoric
Brazilian
mountain
townofOuroPretois tobe Moore's"name-sake";
in one
she enclosesa handpainted
drawingof thehugeold yellowdoor
witha bluedoorframeon whichis naileda sign,"Casa Mariana."
For thirty-five
yearsBishop and Moore'slettersmaintaina
8 The frequency
indicatethe
of Bishop and Moore's letterscan only approximately
becauseBishopspentextendedperiodsduringthe '30s and '40s
intensity
of theirrelationship
livingin New York City.Since Moore lived in Brooklyn,personalcontactand telephone
calls thentookthe place of someletterwriting.However,duringtheseperiodsthe quantity
often
increasedwhileworkon Bishop'smanuscripts
notesand invitations
of briefthank-you
bymail.
continued
American Literature
408
and concern.
Theyalso
sympathy,
toneofdeepwarmth,
dominant
in muchdirect,
womanindulges
maintain
a certain
reserve;
neither
"I don't
in an interview,
As Bishopremarked
revelation.
personal
emotions
the
in
about
talking
think[Marianne]everbelieved
booksjustread,concerts
interesting
Instead,
thetwodiscuss
much."9
and theyexchangeopinionsabout
attended,
heard,or artexhibits
pungent
gossip).They
witty,
(sometimes
writing
orwriters
current
lives.
and professional
do, of course,sharenewsof theirdomestic
discussion
of
involves
In Moore'scase,theformer
almostinevitably
on her own or her mother's
reporting
healthproblems-either
untilMrs.Moore'sdeathin I947) or
(theylivedtogether
"backsets"
aboutBishop'ssevere
information
withand soliciting
sympathizing
tales
newsis morelikelytoinvolve
case,domestic
In Bishop's
asthma.
or neighbors.
ofpets(cats,a goat,a toucan,
a mynabird),servants,
with
writing,
eachwomanresponds
in theother's
Alwaysinterested
workbytheotherappearsin
enthusiastic,
detailedpraisewhenever
of Bishopand
characteristic
print.Perhapsthe mostdelightful
in eventhe
is that,alertto theremarkable
Moore'scorrespondence
with
theyfilltheirletters
sights
andexperiences,
mostcommonplace
spicedwithhumor.
andexact,liberally
thatarecolorful
descriptions
ofBishopandMoore's
characteristics
unchanging
Theserelatively
relationabouttheirliterary
lessinformation
provide
correspondence
in theletters
of the
shipthando thechangesthataredocumented
ofMoore'sinvolvement
years.Tracingthedynamics
apprenticeship
intertwined)
in Bishop'slifeand writing(thetwoarethoroughly
towardgreater
Bishop'sdevelopment
priorto 1941, we can observe
indeadvancetowardliterary
self-confidence
and her consequent
and Moore
is established
Onlyafterthatindependence
pendence.
stabilize
relationship
doestheir
mentor
isnolongeractingas Bishop's
exchange.
as a balanced
toMoorerevealhowmuchsheneededthe
letters
Bishop'searliest
Herself-effacing
ofa respected
politenessauthority.
encouragement
in their
a function
ofthetwenty-four
whilecertainly
yeardifference
far
in theirpositions10-goes
discrepancy
agesand theconsiderable
9 Elizabeth Spires, "The Art of Poetry XVII: Elizabeth Bishop," Paris Review,
(I98I),
70.
10Moore was born in 1887, Bishop in
she served as editorof the Dial from1926
by T. S. Eliot,did notappearuntil1935,
circlesbeforeBishopmether.
in literary
I9II.
Moore's Obser-vationsappeared in
23,
No. 8o
1924,
and
to 1929. Though her Selected Poemns,introduced
renownand respect
Moorehad earnedconsiderable
espondence
The Bishop / Moore Corri
409
of
would demand,revealingthefeebleness
beyondwhatconvention
so preparefor
to Moore,forinstance,
Her invitations
herself-esteem.
refusalthatshe almostencouragesthe otherto bow out. Bishop's
totheRinglingBrothers
an invitation
containing
secondextantletter,
Circus,is typical:". . . I thoughtperhapsyoumightletme takeyou.
However,youhaveprobablygone already,or have plansforattending it withsomeoneelse-or you maybe too busyforsuch things"
the traumaticlossesof her child(4 April 1934 RM). Presumably
hood-her fatherdied when she was eightmonthsand her mother
when she was
committedto a mentalinstitution
was permanently
forrejectionand disappointfouryearsold-left her over-prepared
herreluctanceto ask foranythingfromthe older,
ment.Certainly,
but from
writerderivesnot merelyfromconsiderateness
established
hersense
as well. Sometimesshe articulates
anxiousself-deprecation
of Moore'sattentionor her fearof boringher;
of beingunworthy
in extremehumility:
moreoftenher lack of confidenceis reflected
too much,if I
"I wonder,MissMoore,ifit would be askingentirely
asked for the names of threeor four books [of modernFrench
poetry]?" ( I3 AprilI935 RM).
Bishopis so shyand unassumingthatshecontinuesto addressher
friendas Miss Moore (often"My dearestMiss Moore") formore
thanfouryears-eventhoughthetwo wereseeingeach otherregufrelarlywhen Bishopwas in New York as well as corresponding
quently,eventhoughtheywereclose enoughforMoore to be caretaker for Bishop's cat during the winterof 1936-37, and even
thoughMoorehad beencallingherElizabethsinceSeptemberI936.
it was Moorewho finallypointedout theridiculousness
Apparently,
ofBishop'sformality,
forwhenBishopshiftsto firstnameaddresson
printedcapital
12 July1938,she laughinglyoutlinesthe oversized,
lettersof MARIANNE in squiggles and dots she identifiesas
lights."
"electric
are apparentin
and self-doubt
Naturally,the same tentativeness
work.Rarelydoes she send a
towardher literary
Bishop'sattitudes
piece to Moore withoutapologizingforits "awfulfaults,"without
labelingit "vague,""trivial,""tedious,"or even "a littleCHEAP."
of the poems as
Sometimesshe presentsthe lamentablefrivolity
in theintellectof theircreator.The
thesame shortcoming
reflecting
lettersof themid '30s, then,revealthatBishop,despitetheenergetic
needed a greatdeal of reasindependenceof her nomadiclifstyle,
4IO
American Literature
surance,not only about the depth of her literarytalentand the
she produced,but abouther humanworth
qualityof the literature
as well.All thisMooregladlyprovided.
was congenialto Moore's
No doubttheyoungwoman'spoliteness
somewhatold-fashionedsense of decorum,and her awe-filled
but it is easy to detectmore
admirationmusthave been flattering,
reasonswhyMoorewould have takensuch a livelyand
substantial
in Bishop:the two had in commonunusualtastes
generousinterest
and sharedthe assumptionthatintellectualcuriosity
and interests,
Bishop's firstletter,thanking
and imaginationare inseparable.1"
Moore forcomingintoNew York fortheirfirstmeeting-"I can't
thankyou enough fortalkingso long to me.
. .
. I hope thatI didn't
tireyou and thatyou weren'tlate foryourdinner"etc.-ends on a
bookon
A wonderful
in tattooing?
spunkynote:"Areyouinterested
to geta copy"(I9 March1934 RM).
itjustcameoutand I am trying
visualdesign,unusualcustomsassociatedwith
Tattooing-intricate
exoticlands-exactlythe sortof thinglikelyto fascinateMoore.
in odditiesof natural
interests
Coincidental,slightlyidiosyncratic
or in colorfulspectacleslike circusesdrewthesetwowomen
history
together.
Bishop fills her letterswith tidbitsof lore or with reportsof
fromwhich
interesting
sights,thatis, with the kind of curiosities
Mooreconstructs
poems:
do,
on theireggs]Do youknow-youprobably
swanssitting
[discussing
theyturnthemovereveryhalfhour,exactly.
butI neverhadbefore-that
it is thenicestthing
We wentto watchthemdo it-withtheirfeet-andherneckall aroundto see
swanstretching
to see themother
afterward
(ii
JuneI935 RM)
thatall theeggsareunderneath.
France]perhapsyouwouldliketohearthatthefish
[fromDouarnenez,
blue,so the
are an aquamarine
nets(it's thecenterof sardinefishery)
fishcan'tseethemwhentheysinkin deepwater.(2I Aug. 1935 RM)
whenthepuffadderplaysdeadand
didyouknow-I didn'tbefore-that
fromhismouth.(4 Feb.
rollson hisbacka littlebloodactuallytrickles
1937 RM)
11 This assumption may be less apparent in Bishop's poetry than in Moore's, but it is
evident in both women's letters. Here, for instance, is a comment Bishop made about the
sailors she worked with brieflyin an optical shop during World War II: "And their lack of
imagination would get more and more depressing-not one of them had any idea of the
theory of the thing, why the prisms go this way or that way, or what 'collimate' & 'optical
center' really mean, etc." (i Sept. 1943 RM).
The Bishop /Moore Correspondence
41I
or gifts,
factsare offerings
and believe-it-or-not
These observations
books,amusing
part of the steadystreamof presents-interesting
clippings,pressedflowers,seashells,feathers,alligatorteeth and
submountedbutterflies,
snakefangs,tropicalfruitsand preserves,
scriptionsto Natural History,carefullyselectedpostcards,and, in
clothing,and jewelry-which
lateryears,moreexpensivesouvenirs,
Bishop sends Moore until her death. Moore was delightedand
to her storehouseof lore; at
by Bishop'scontributions
entertained
also
of theseintellectualcuriosities
the same time,the presentation
The simplefactthat
apprenticeship.
playeda rolein Bishop'sliterary
withtheauthorofpoemssuchas "The Fish,"
shewas corresponding
"Those VariousScalpels,"and "Peter"encouragedher to practice
fastidiousaccuracyin observationand reporting;producingthese
and visualacuity.
lettershelpedBishophone herintellectual
Bishopseemsto have
Despitehergenerallack of self-confidence,
recognizedthatshe,like Moore,was farmoreobservantthanmost
implying
people.Once she evenassumesa toneof smugcomplicity,
on
whencommenting
overlook,"
"youand I seewhatotherscarelessly
of thosewho label museumexhibits:"Some of their
theobtuseness
sensiblecrystalfish,forexample,
baffleme-a perfectly
inscriptions
somethinglike a perch,labelled'Porpoise.'And a youngman on a
Greekvase who is obviouslycuttingthe ends of his hair with his
(25 Jan. I935 RM).
sword, called 'Boy Washing Hair (?)'"
Bishopalso seemsto havebeenalwaysconsciousthatthewomanshe
was writingtowas notonly"The World'sGreatestLivingObserver"
to theMarianneMooreissue
(a titleBishopusedin hercontribution
of QuarterlyReview of Literature,I948)12 butone of itsgreatest
themostqualifiedjudgeofBishop's
describers
as well-and therefore
owndescriptive
achievements.
She did not need to turnto Moore'svolumesto be remindedof
Moore'spublished
studying
this-thoughin factshewas continually
of
Moore's
with
abound
remarkably
examples
work-fortheletters
Here is a typicalresponseto an enclosure:"The
exactwordpictures.
Wood Duck feathersare soberingbeyond anythingone could
suspectin five littledetachedfeathers;but what color,-on that
cinnamonpaper,the evenlydull greenishbloom with the pencil
edge of sand color; and the straightpliantset of the spine,which
12
"As We Like It," QuarterlyReview of Literature,4 ([Spring] I948),
I29.
American Literature
412
of
fromthestiffness
seems,
thoughI mayimagineit,quitedifferent
(28 Feb. I937 VC, RM). Moore's appreciative
farmbirdfeathers"
examinationof the objects and picturesBishop sends produces
modelsas strikingas her poems-modelsof verbalpredescriptive
cisionand of an approachto experiencethatfindsin eventhemost
ordinaryminutiae"a veritablecourseof study"(26 AprilI936 VC).
Bishopwas well awareof hergood fortunein receivingtheseverbal
fromwhichonecouldlearnso much:
treasures
alwaysshamesme-I'm afraid
appreciation
ofmypost-cards
Yourcareful
I won'treallyhave made thistripat all untilI have luredyou into
evidenceI can produce.(2I May
on everybitof pictorial
commenting
I936
RM)
theteacherconI remember
in thesthor 6thgrade,in pre'ciswriting,
werepeopleto whoma descripfounded
mebysayingthatthereactually
I neverbelieved
itself.
her,
thanthe"forest"
meant-more
tion"ofa forest,"
back
to
is
something
get
I
send
you
a
post-card
know
that
to
butnow
of them!(2 JuneI938 RM)
wortha thousand
Bishop's equally fascinatingdescriptionsemploy some of the
sametechniquesthatMooreusesin bothher lettersand herpoems.
writer,
alwaysawareoflineand color,and
Bishop,too,is a painterly
she sometimes
seemsto be followingMoore'sexamplein hercareful
delineationof hues: "The sea is so beautiful-allspottedand striped,
fromdarkblack-blueto whatmyauntcalls 'lettuce'green"(20 Jan.
yet
I938 RM). Like Moore's, her similesare at once surprising
accurate;forinstance,she mentionsmen cleaningsnow
strikingly
fromher street"as if theywere workingin a marblequarry"(25
apt remarksor
Jan. I935 RM). Bishop's interestin particularly
namesforplantsand
vernacularphrasesand in especiallyexpressive
if not initiated,by her mentor's.
animalswas no doubtreinforced,
Her loving,dignifying
attentionto minutiae,so thoroughthatit
their
scale,
probablyowesa good deal to Mooreas
transforms
utterly
well.
whattechniquesBishopderivesfrom
But can we reallydetermine
skills
she was learningby emulating
we
distinguish
Moore? Can
cultivatedthatthe
previously
Moorefromabilitiesand predilections
two writershappenedto have in common? Not entirely.Some
Moore's thatwe can conare so distinctly
mannerisms
descriptive
fidently
speak of influence.For instance,thoseof Bishop'ssimiles
The Bishop /Moore Corrsespondence
413
inconbetween
apparently
visualcongruities
thatpointtosurprising
gruousrealms-themanmadeand thenatural,theimmenseand
useofmodifying
Moore;heroccasional
from
themicroscopic-derive
Moore,
imitates
as modifiers
in whichnounsfunction
compounds
colorsshowsa debtto
mannerof designating
and herfastidious
herworld
thatBishopexamined
Moore.Butwe mustacknowledge
of
before
sheknewofMoore'swork,andeventhestiffness
carefully
tookin
Bishopalready
thedelight
cannotdisguise
letters
herearliest
(witha touchof whimsy):"The 'good poor'
precisedescription
envelopeI ever
in thebiggestbusiness
camethismorning
tickets
and
blueletters,
saw,withBarnum& Baileyacrossit in enormous
an inchhigh-allas ifdone
in pencilwriting
mynameandaddress
explained
(23 AprilI934 RM). As Bishop
himself"
bytheelephant
I think-at
"I havealwaysbeenobservant,
to theauthor,
in a letter
nothaveputthisgifttouseas much
leasttheytellmeso-butI might
(19 July
I979 VC) .
ifithadn'tbeenforMarianne"
Moore's
thatgiftdid not simplymean following
Cultivating
arelikeMoore's
letters
in Bishop's
Someofthedescriptions
example.
passage,
precisedetail.In thefollowing
onlyin including
writing
employMoore'scompression;
Bishopdoesnotattempt
forinstance,
even
to anthropomorphize,
idiom,she allowsherself
ing a chatty
animallifeas Moorewouldnot:
sentimentalize,
nestswithstorks'
arecovered
All thehousesandcitywallsofMarrakech
as a Frenchladysaidto me,and wanderaround
theyarevery"familial,"
as wellas
withsixfootsticksin theirbeaksbuildingtheirhousesexactly
But thenicestof all werethelittleowlswe saw out in the
thenatives.
aboutsixincheshigh,and verysoft
and almosttail-less,
country-stubby
in the
looking.Theywouldsitrightbythesideof theroad,sometimes
road,andstarequietlybackat us as we wentup to them,thenjustas we
gotquiteclosetheeyeswouldblinkonceand thefacewouldseemreally
and annoyedwithitselffor
surprised,
to changeexpression-becoming
theowlswouldflyoff.(6 AprilI936 RM)
beingsurprised-and
the
theknackfornarrative,
As earlyas I935 Bishopdemonstrates
humorthatare
andtheplayful
humancharacters,
incolorful
interest
in her
hers.These traitsgrowincreasingly
prominent
distinctly
contains
forinstance,
vignette,
letters
ofthelate'30s.The following
moralthatbring
half-serious
imagesand an understated,
surprising
couldonly
manner
butthecasual,anecdotal
tomindMoore'swriting,
down
the
streettree
beautiful
about
the
"I
beBishop's: musttellyou
414
AmericanLiterature
wire-like,
and themostdelicate,
withfineyellowblossoms
covered
lookslikea treeat all,butsomesortof
ofgreenleaves-itscarcely
An old Negrowithwhitehairwas
fixture.
lighting
transcendental
Record'and I
it readingthe 'Congregational
sittingunderneath
and
Thorn.I saidisn'titbeautiful,
askedhimthename-Jerusalem
lookingat'" (5
'It's worth-while
he answeredme veryseverely,
MarchI938 RM).
styles
between
theirdescriptive
theobviousdifferences
Yetdespite
clearly
them),Moore'swriting
determining
(and thetemperaments
thestandard
description,
forsuccessful
Bishop'sstandard
provides
"I don'tknow
herown achievement:
againstwhichshe measures
seeingKeyWest,youmanagedtodo it,butwhatyou
how,without
dye
in vegetable
saidaboutitsbeinga 'kindoftencommandments
yet.. . I findit alternately
is thebestdescription
colorprinting'
thinkthatI shouldcomeso farand
anddepressing-to
inspirational
whileyoustay
butapproximations,
tryso hardandachievenothing
rightonthehead"(i9 Feb.
athomeandhittheKeyWestlighthouse
in
to the descriptions
Moore'sresponses
I940 RM). Fortunately,
andtheolderwomandid
another
measure,
provided
Bishop'sletters
descripand meticulous
colorful
amusing,
notregardherfriend's
Shepouredforth
Bishop's
praisetoreward
tionsas "approximations."
herown and
proclaimed
repeatedly
effective
portrayals,
especially
of
to us theenchantment
hermother's
for"transferring
gratitude
(8 Sept.I935 VC), forallowingthemto see
yoursurroundings"
and forgenerally
first-hand,
thingstheyhad neverencountered
(2 June
I936 VC).
their]experience"
"extend[ing
and
herearlyletters
tookcomposing
The careBishopapparently
then,notonlyherdesireto
thedescriptions
theycontainreflects,
or delightful
butalsoher
experiences,
sharewithMooreintriguing
for
a uniqueopportunity
awareness
provided
thatthiscorrespondence
in writing
skills.Afterall,Moorewas theideal
monitored
practice
andgenuinely
rigorous
welldisposed
interested,
possessing
audience:
herpraise,whenearned,
and reliablejudgment;
standards
literary
Without in any way diminishingthe genuine
was significant.
affection
bindingthesetwowomenand themutualrewardsof their
it seemsfairalso to regardBishop'slettersof the
correspondence,
as vehiclesfor
forliterary
exerciseand experiment,
'305S as a format
locatingher own voice and manner,for testingher audience's
of comformorepublicforays.The activity
responsein preparation
The Bishop / Moore Correspondence
4I5
posingthemappearsto havebeen partof Bishop'sself-imposed
training.
It maynotbecoincidental
thattheauthorial
toneandvoice,as well
in
toMoore,
as thedescriptive
techniques
Bishopemploys herletters
areso remarkably
closeto thosesheuseswithherpoeticaudience.
sherarely
comescloserto personal
Thoughwarmand sympathetic,
volumes.
in theseletters
confession
thanshedoesin herpublished
withwhichher
The distinctive
combination
ofintimacy
andreserve
withwhomonehas
poemsspeak-likethefamiliarity
ofa neighbor
chattedoverthebackfencefora dozenyearswithouteverbeing
here.
invited
intoherhome-maywellhavebeenestablished
The literary
training
embodiedin thecorrespondence
is notreofimplicit
stricted
to thesesubtlepatterns
modelsand self-imposed
by
exercises.
While Bishop'sconfidence
was beingstrengthened
it was
of herletters,
Moore'senthusiastic
responses
to thecontents
alsobeingboosted
byMoore'sdirect
andexplicit
interest
inthepoems
andstories
Bishopwasproducing
andin theprogress
ofherliterary
career.
WhatI havecalledtheapprenticeship
perioddividesroughly
intotwoparts,
according
tothenature
ofMoore'sdirect
involvement.
in
UntilthefallofI936, sheseemstohavebeeninfrequently
involved
or givingher specificadviceon
criticizing
Bishop'smanuscripts
askedtosee
stylistic
andtechnical
matters.
ThoughMooresometimes
did not
verseshewas writing,
Bishop,perhapsbecauseof shyness,
showhermuch.So instead
ofproviding
editorial
aid,Mooreassisted
theyoungwomanbyintroducing
scenehertothecurrent
literary
herwork,
tellingheraboutsmallmagazinesthatmightconsider
mentioninig
hertovarious
editors,
andsmoothing
socialintroductions
toimportant
peoplein thearts.As earlyas August1934-afteronly
halfa year'sacquaintance-when
Ted Wilsonof the Westminster
MagazineasksMooreto suggest
writers
who deserveto be better
known,shegiveshimBishop'sname.WhenMoorehearsof new
journals
starting
up orofspecialissuesthatmightwelcomea young
orwhenEzraPoundrecommends
writer's
contributions,
thatMoore
to
contribute
to a particular
magazine,
sherelaysthatinformation
Bishopandurgeshertosubmit
manuscripts.
In thefallof 1935, whenEdwardAswellof Harper& Brothers
he writesto
hearsaboutElizabethBishopfromHoraceGregory,
Mooreinquiring
whether
Bishopmightbe readytopublisha book.
Mooremanagesto makeit appearas if herhavingseenlittleof
4I6
American Literature
Bishop'sworkis itselfa recommendation-evidence
of theyoung
woman's"instinct
againstprecipitateness."
DescribingBishopas
a person
ofgreatpromise,"
themusicianship
ofherpoetry
shepraises
as wellas her"unusual"
outlook
on life(29 Oct.1935 RM). Aswell's
approaching
Bishopthrough
Mooredemonstrates
thatveryearlythe
literary
worldperceived
Bishopas herprotegee.
And no wonderwhengivinga readingin New YorkwithWilliamCarlosWilliams
in December
I936, Mooreeveninterrupted
herperformance
togreet
Bishopbynameassheentered
late!
Moore'sroleenlarges
afterAugustI936. At thattimeBishopexa crisisin confidence
periences
aboutbecoming
a writer
and,with
unusualemotional
openness,
turnsto Moore.In tonesof despair,
crying,
"I cannot,cannotdecidewhatto do," theyoungwoman
revealsthatsheis seriously
considering
a careerin medicine
or biochemistry
becauseshehad been"fairly
good"at sciencein college,
whileas a writer
"I feelthatI havegivenmyself
morethana fair
trial,and theaccomplishment
hasbeennothing
at all." She solicits
frankadvice,saying,"But thisis a greatimposition-my
only
foundation
is thatyourinterest
in behalfofPOETRY willleadyou
tobe verysevere"
(2I August
I936 RM). (Thisunusually
emotional
letter
is thefirstone signed"Elizabeth";Moorenoticesand,after
askingpermission,
shiftsto firstnameaddress.)Moore'sreplyis
a marvel
ofsupport
thatisnotoverly
directive.
Sheavoidsinterfering
withBishop's
careerchoicebutmakesveryclearherhighregardfor
Bishop'stalent:"Whatyousayaboutstudying
medicine
doesnot
disturb
meat all; forinteresting
as medicine
is,I feelyouwouldnot
be ableto giveup writing,
withtheability
forit youhave;butit
doesdisturb
methatyoushouldhavethefeeling
thatitmight
bewell
togiveitup.To haveproduced
whatyouhave-either
verseorprose
is enviable"
(28 Aug.1936VC). Moorealsotakes
theopportunity
to
repeat
herprevious
solicitations
instronger
terms:
"Maybeyouwould
careto showmewhatyouhavebeenwriting?. . . I thinkI recall
complaining
ofhavingto lookat things
whichweresenttomefor
advice,
butI neverhavecomplained
ofwriting
thatI askedtosee.In
factI haverather
serious
causeofcomplaint
against
youforstinginess
in thismatter"(28 Aug. I936 VC).
This reinforcement
seemsto have been exactlywhat Bishop
forshethrewherself
intoa newstageofherapprenticeship
needed,
withgreatenergy.
Her nextletteropenswithrather
briefthanks;
The Bishop /Moos'e Correspondence
417
byheremotionaldisplay,Bishopseemseagerto
perhapsembarrassed
leave thesubject.However,she enclosesthreepoems,one of which
impolite,if true,displayof your
as "an extremely
she characterizes
'influence'"(I5 Sept. I936 RM). (Judgingfromsubsequentletters,
and
thethreeseemto be "Paris,7 a.m.,""A MiracleforBreakfast,"
large sectionsof many of Bishop and
"The Weed.") Thereafter,
of Bishop's
Moore's lettersare devotedto analysisand discussion.
workin progress.
thisis theperiodfromwhichso manyof Moore's
Unfortunately,
of
lettersare missing,but thosethatsurviverevealthatherscrutiny
commentary
her
painstaking,
and
minute
was
manuscripts
Bishop's
thorough.Typically,her responseto a poem or storywould begin
of thepiece.For instance,she
withrapturesabouttheoveralleffect
of
declaresof "The Weed" and "Paris,7 a.m.": "This exteriorizing
the
are
me
to
seems
it
through,
all
aliveness
and the
the interior,
surrealismstrugglestoward"
thatunsatisfactory
essentialsincerity
linesor phrases,
(20 Sept. I936 VC). Oftenshe repeatsherfavorite
exclaimingover theirbeauties.But inevitablycriticismsfollowMoorecould be a sterntaskoftenpicayune,sometimessubstantial;
master.
Since Moorevalueseconomyin writing,she usuallyrecommends
omittinga few wordsand phrasesor, in stories,longerpassages.
phrases,
particular
However,manyofhersmallcriticisms-querying
some combinationof soundsthatseemsto her ear disidentifying
suggesting
continuity,
of rhythmic
cordant,notingan interruption
some slightvariationin pacing-are so dependenton contextthat
in conveyingprinciplestransferable
theyare probablyless effective
setof attitudes
an instructive
to otherworksthanin demonstrating
creation.Centralto theseis a tirelessdevotionto the
towardliterary
to persistwitha piece
a determination
detailsofcraftsmanship,
finest
of workuntilit is as closeto "exactlyright"as possible.In an interviewpublishedin I977, Bishopcommendsthisexemplarydiscipline
as Moore appliedit to her own writing;she recallsonce seeingat
Moore'shomein Brooklyntwobushelbasketsfilledwiththedraftsof
a rathershortreview,adding,"If everyou want to see examplesof
One ofthelessonsMooreenacted
realwork,studyhermanuscripts."'3
forherprotegeeagainand againis thateventhemostminuterefine13 Starbuck,p.
25.
American Literature
4I8
mentsare significant,
and thatconsequently
the artistmusttinker
withherworkuntilthe effect
is preciselywhat she intends.While
Bishopdid not alwaysfindMoore's specificsuggestionscongenial
and did not alwaysfollow them,she did adopt Moore's rigorous
standardsof craftsmanship,
and revisingher
endlesslyscrutinizing
own drafts
throughout
herlife.
Moore'smoregeneralcriticisms-those
fewthatsurvive-pointto
the limitations
of Bishop'sart in moral terms.Respondingto the
story"The Laborsof Hannibal"in thespringof I937, Moorewarns,
"youaremenacedbythegoodnessofyourmechanics":"One should,
of course,have thefeeling,thisis ingeniously
contrived;buta thing
shouldmakeone feelafterreadingit,thatone's lifehas beenaltered
or added to.
. .
. I wish to say, above all, that I am sure good treat-
mentis a handicapunlessalong withit,significant
valuescomeout
withan essentialbaldness"(7 March 1937 VC, RM). A yearlater,
on "In Prison,"Moore again criticizesBishop'swork
commenting
forevadingconfrontation
withthemostimportant
levelsof human
experience
and morality:"I can'thelpwishingyouwould sometime
in some way, risk some unprotected
profundity
of experience;or
since noone admits profundity
of experience,some characteristic
private defiance of the significantlydetestable..
.
. I do feel that
tentativeness
and interiorizing
are your danger as well as your
strength"
(i May 1938 RM). Bishop'sresponse
is partiallycontrite"I've been having some severemeditationsthis morningon the
themeof the criticismyou imply so gently"-and partiallyselfjustifying,
explainingher "tentativeness"
as political"bafflement,"
a desirenot to imitatethose"Radical" artistswho take standsthat
areignorantand short-sighted
(5 May 1938RM).
Once Moore beginsregularlymakingspecificsuggestionsabout
Bishop'sworkin progress,
an important
butdelicateproblemarises:
how to establisha balance betweenBishop'sacceptinginstruction
and assistanceon the one hand and her maintaining
or developing
artisticindependenceon the other.The issue of independenceis
especiallycomplex because Bishop and Moore's relationshipwas
and the personalsupportMoore
personalas well as professional,
providedwas extremely
valuable.In the summerof 1937,forinstance,when Bishop and two friendstravellingin Europe have a
car accidentin whichone youngwomanlosesan arm,she turnsto
Moore for comfort ("I wish . . . that I could see you for a few
The Bishop / Moore Correspondence
419
minutes.
I can'tthinkof anything
thatwouldbe moreof a consolation"[9 Aug. 1937 RM]). In thesameletter,
sentfromParis,
in withstanding
shealsolookstoMooreforreinforcement
Bryher's
pressures
thatshebe psychoanalyzed
forherasthma.14
Andshegets
backexactly
whatsheneeds:gentlereassurance,
sympathy,
praise,
concern-"Howthankyouforknowing
howto putthingsandfor
yourbraveway of suffering"
(undateddraftRM [Aug. I9371).
andevenenMoorecorroborates
Bishop'smistrust
ofpsychoanalysis
forher
closesmoneyso Bishopcan purchase
somesmalldiversion
with
injuredfriend.
It wouldseem,then,thatBishop'sdiscomfort
herownresistance
tosomeofMoore'sliterary
suggestions
derives
as
muchfrompersonal
as fromprofessional
insecurity-that
is,as much
froma fearof losingMoore'ssupportive
as froma
friendship
reluctance
totrust
herownearoverMoore's.
On severaloccasionsBishopanxiously
apologizesforher "ungraciousness"
in accepting
and
some,butnotall,ofthesuggestions,
she attempts
to explain,humbly,
whatshe hopesmayjustify
her
choices.Moore,however,
at leastconsciously,
wantsBishopto feel
freeto do as shepleases.In themidstofhercommentary
on "The
Weed" and "Paris,7 a.m."-at the verybeginning
of thismost
intensestageof theapprenticeship-she
declares:"I fearto make
suggestions
lestI hamperyou.Specificcomment
is boundto be
hapless.Still,I venture,
in thewayof soliloquy-not
request-and
shouldbe verygladtohaveyoukeepeverything
justas youhaveit"
(20 Sept.I936 VC). WhenBishop
apologizes
for"beingsoobstinate"
a particular
aboutkeeping
word,Mooreassures
herthatsheisgladof
thisself-assertion:
"I amsending
Paris,7 AM toMr.Zabel-notonly
thatyoushouldkeep'apartment'
satisfied
butverygrateful
thatyou
I wouldbe deterred
whatI
do,forotherwise
fromsayingexactly
feelabouta wordor connotation."
shegoeson toquesUndeterred,
tionBishop's
useofthepluraloftheword"Revelations"
(I Oct.1936
VC). Nonetheless,
Mooreherself
is awarethat"zeal forimproving
thingstendsto runawaywithme,"potentially
menacing
Bishop's
freedom(I7 Dec. I936 VC).
In fact,Moore'sinterest
in Bishop'sworkgrowsincreasingly
14 Bryher (Winifred Ellerman Macpherson) had, with H.D., assembled Moore's first
In the mid '30s she was connected with Life and
book, Poems (London: Egoist Press, I921).
Letters To-day, a magazine that published several of Bishop's poems and stories. Bryher was
a great enthusiastof Freudian analysis.
420
American Literature
possessiveand controlling.By February1937, when Bishop asks
permissionto send a story-"please,please do not thinkof saying
'yes'unlessyou reallyhave timethatyou do not 'know what to do
with'" (4 Feb. I937 RM)-Moore replies,in herown unmistakable
in wonderinghow thingsmay be
syntax,"Your considerateness
regardinganother'schoiceof occupationis muchfeltbyme,butyou
shouldletme seeall youdo" (9 Feb. I937 RM). That sheis no doubt
wearyof havingto repeathow willingshe is to see Bishop'smanu"should."In
accountforMoore'sproprietary
scriptsdoesnotentirely
addition,she was takingan almostauthorialinterestin publishing
the pieces she did see-not only suggestingwhat should be sent
forher.On
to submitBishop'smanuscripts
where,butevenoffering
6 March 1937, Bishop graciouslydeclinessuch an offer,saying:
"You are so kind to offerto intercedeforme thatway-you have a
apronand I am notsurehow muchof
verygenerousand protective
it I should seize upon. . .. I should gobble up eagerlyany suggestionsforThe Labors,etc.and I shallat leastmakegood copiesof
bothstoriesto see how theylook.-but I reallyfeelI shouldn'tlet
thembecomeburdensto you,becausetheirfuturesare quite unimis apt,sincetheproblemhereis
portant"(RM). The apronmetaphor
decidedlylike thatwhich mothersand maturingdaughtersmust
balance between bonding and
resolve in findinga satisfactory
separateness.
Withinonlya fewyearsofherfirstmeetingwithMoore,Bishop's
self-confidence
had grown considerably.Even her handwriting,
which in the earlylettersfromVassar was rounded,carefuland
herown-less self-conscious
childlike,had cometo be moredistinctly
as she had
and morerapid.No longeras tentative
and deferential
beenin I934 and I935, Bishopin thesummerof 1936 evendaresto
suggest,thoughverygently,thatthe drawingsin Pangolinare not
forMoore'swriting."I reallythink,
quite therightaccompaniment
if you won't mind,thatyourwork could supporta strongerkind
of drawing,"she declares,and goes on to recommendthe'workof
PeterBlumeas thekindofthingshehasin mind(21 May 1936 RM).
works
She alsogrowsbolderin riskingopinionsaboutcontemporary
and writers.By the end of 1936 she is readyto defendinterpretationsthatdifferfromMoore's; for instance,that Decembershe
praisesMoore'sreviewof Wallace Stevens'recentvolumes,but preconsentsat lengthher own readingof Owl's Cloverthatdiffers
espondence
The Bishop / Moor-eCowrr
42I
siderably.And, despiteheradmirationforStevens,she voicessome
example,thatshe"dislike[s]thewayhe occasionally
complaints-for
seemsto make blankversemoo" (5 Dec. I936 RM). Overall,then,
during
Bishopwas tendingtowardgreaterintellectualself-reliance
towardinterthesame periodwhenMoore'sassistancewas shifting
was inevitable.
Conflict
ference.
a
Bishoptriesrelinquishing
In JanuaryI938, at age twenty-seven,
as
if
apron,"butthenpanicsand confesses
portionof the"protective
a storya fewdaysago whichI wantedto sendto
fora sin: "I finished
you to see whatyou thoughtof it-but I had just receiveda letter
fromthe 'PartisanReview' askingfor a storyby FebruaryIst, if
possible.I sentit to themand now of courseregretit verymuch
and hope theywill sendit back. My motiveswere doublycorrupt:
theyaregoingtohavea $ioo. 'contest'and I thoughtI shouldliketo
try"(3I Jan.1938 RM). Moorerespondsas if to a rebelliouschild;
but undeniably-scolding:"It was
her toneis-uncharacteristically,
of you to submityourprize storywithoutletting
veryindependent
me see it. If it is returnedwith a printedslip, thatwill be why"
however,and
(IO Feb. I938 RM). "In Prison"was not returned,
BishopmailedMoore theMarchissuein whichit appeared,asking
her"pleasenot [to] trytoseea wordofgoodin it or saya good word
forit" (27 March I938 RM). Moore does praisethe piece-its "insidiouslyinnocentand artlessartificeof innuendo"and so on-but
thatpraiseis followedby the admonitionquoted above concerning
and
her dangerous"tentativeness
Bishop's evasion of profundity,
whether
(i May 1938RM). One can'thelpwondering
interiorizing"
Mooreisn'ttryingto hold ontoherprotegeebyremindingher that,
despiterecentsuccesses,she stillneeds Moore'sguidance.
For a fewmoreyears,Bishopcontinuesto show her manuscripts
slows,however,so her lettersare more
to Moore.Her productivity
oftendevotedto anecdotesabouttheanimaland humanmembersof
in writing
her Key West "family"than to her work. Difficulty
writing
fictionand poetryseemsto have made her less comfortable
lettersto Moore.AlthoughMooreneverchidedherforslow producshe counseledpatienceand urged her not
tion (on the contrary,
to "strive"to write), Bishop projectedonto the older woman the
role of literaryconscience.Here is her responseto seeingMoore's
"A Glass-RibbedNest": "The whole poem is like a rebuketo me,
it suggestsso manyof theplans forthe thingsI want to say about
422
American Literature
Key West and have scarcelyhinted at in 'Jose'sHouse' [later
House'] forexample.ButI will tryveryhard,and won't
Jeronimo's
of theproperlengthand depthto
writeagainuntilI havesomething
send you" (2I May I940 RM). On severaloccasionsshe admits
havingdelayedwritingMoorea letterbecauseshe did nothave any
workto accompanyit.Betweenthesummerof I938 and thesummer
of I940, she managedto sendMoore,in additionto "Jose'sHouse,"
draftsof "Cirque d'Hiver" (an untitledversion), "The Fish,"
"Cootchie,"and a fewotherpoems.
In theseyears,Bishopgrewpreoccupiedwithfindingsomeoneto
publishher work as a book, and sometimesshe asked Moore for
advice.She had consultedMooreon thismatteras earlyas February
I937,
thatNew Directions
whenJamesLaughlinhad suggested
publisha bookofherpoems.At thattimeBishopchosetoholdoutfor
a betterknownpublisher(the firstNew Directionstitlescame out
lookingfora publisher,
shewasactively
in I936). ByI939, however,
and as therejectionsaccumulated,she turnedto Laughlin-only to
not in a book but in an anthology
findthathe now was interested
sexualtokenism,
suspecting
containing
fouror fivepoets.Apparently
she writesto Moore,"I haven'tansweredhim yet,but I somehow
toactas SexAppeal,don'tyou?" (15 Dec. I939
feeloneshouldrefuse
by Moore's
RM). A week laterBishopannouncesthat,"fortified"
opinions,shehas declined,"althoughI'm afraidhe mustthinkI have
(24 Dec. I939 RM). At thispointMoore'sprogreatpretentions"
instinctpromptsan astonishingly
tective(perhapsover-protective)
generousmove: althoughshe had notin factdirectedBishop'sdecision, she takes it upon herselfto preserveBishop'sreputationby
writingLaughlinand makingit soundas ifsheweretheone responsibleforBishop'srefusal.
In the fall of I940 Moore attemptstoo much assistance,and
Bishop respondsby cuttingthose apron strings.The occasion:
excited.
"Roosters,"a poem about which Moore was inordinately
This was not the firsttimeshe had takenit upon herselfto retype
one of Bishop'spoems; she had done so with"The Weed," and the
files contain severalother poems she apparently
correspondence
recopiedand probably"improved"slightly.With "Roosters,"however, her changes are drastic.Dissatisfiedwith Bishop's regular
removessome
she variesthe stanza construction,
rhymedtriplets,
She
several
lines.
eliminates
stanzas,most
and
condenses
rhymes,
The Bishop / Moore Correspondence
423
notably
one referring
to the"privy."In heraccompanying
letter,
she providesa lecture"regarding
in whichshe
thewater-closet"
objectstothewaywriters
likeDylanThomas,W. C. Williams,
and
E. E. Cummings
"feelthattheyareavoidinga dutyiftheybalkat
anything
likeunprudishness";
praising
the"heroisms
ofabstinence,"
sheexplains
that"fewofus . . . arefundamentally
rudeenoughto
enrich
ourworkinsuchwayswithout
cost"(i6 Oct.I940 RM,VC).
She evenchangesthepoem'stitleto "The Cock,"presumably
in
ignorance
of theterm'svernacular
meaningof whichBishopwas
nodoubtaware.In herenthusiasm
forthe"Pope-ian
ofthe
sagacity"
piece,Mooreoverlooks
fundamental
aspectsof Bishop'sintentions;
heralterations
respect
neither
thecharacter
ofBishop's
scene(changing "tin"roosters
to "gold,"forinstance)northepurposes
of her
pounding
formal
regularity.
ThoughBishopremains
polite,heranswerto Moore'sletterand
Moore'sversion
ofthepoemreveals
heranger.Shewroteitimmediately(OctoberI7) butheldontoitfora fewdaysandthenattached
a
coverletterto temperits impact.Yet thecoverletteritselfalso
betrays
herirritation,
perhapsmorethantheoriginal
does.In it she
describes
theinitialresponse
as "decidedly
cranky"and herself
as
"mulish,"
buttherelative
terseness
oftheseapologies
with
contrasts
herusual,moreappeasing
manner.
Moreover,
herphrasing
indicates
thatshecannotevenregardthepoemMoorereturned
as herown:
"MayI keepyourpoem?"sheasks,"Itis veryinteresting,
whatyou
havedone"(20 Oct.1940 RM).
Bishop'sletterof theI7thbegins,"WhatI'm aboutto say,I'm
afraid,
willsoundlikeELIZABETH KNOWS BEST," butin fact
thereis nothing
cranky
aboutit. It offers
reasoned
explanations
of
thechoicesBishopmadeinorder"toemphasize
theessential
baseness
of militarism."
Her toneavoidsthearrogance
of one who "knows
best":"It has beenso hardto decidewhatto do, and I knowthat
esthetically
youarequiteright,
butI can'tbringmyself
to sacrifice
what (I think)is a veryimportant
'violence'of tone."Though
Bishopgraciously
Mooreforall thetimeandthought
thanks
sheput
in,andconcludes
herletter
withan invitation
totheKleeexhibit
in
NewYork,sheremains
firm
onliterary
matters.
affectthe
of "Roosters"
did not noticeably
Moore'srewriting
butit didmarka decisive
qualityofBishopandMoore'sfriendship,
Fromthenon Bishoprarely
sent
shiftin theirliterary
relationship.
424
Amer-ican Literature
on
worktoMoore:"afterthatI decidedtowriteentirely
unpublished
Perhapsto
we were."15
myown,becauseI realizedhow verydifferent
Bishopdoesask Moorein DecemberI940 whether
easethetransition,
she would be willingto look at her firsttwo attemptsat reviews;
duringtherestofthedecade,however,shesendsunpublishedworks
she does
on onlyfiveor six occasions.In responseto themanuscripts
changes.For the
see,Mooreno longerproduceslonglistsofsuggested
herselfto praise,and thefew criticisms
mostpart,she now restricts
as if afraidthat assertive
she does make she venturestentatively,
criticism
mightstraintheirrelations.For instance,in I943, responding to a draftof "Large Bad Picture,"she dismissesher suggestions
as soonas shemakesthem:
The thoughtin thesighingoftheaquaticanimalis justwhatis needed;
seemshighart.But hereit seemsnotso expert
and in prose,"sighing"
"air,"thatseemsa littlefacile-(And
as therest.?
?Perhaps
itis therhyme,
suggestions.)
to mytechnical
I havebeenill.Payno attention
perhaps
& exoticflavor-for
fascination
The term"mygreatuncle"hasa strong
? ButI haveno confidenceme:"Mygreatunclepainteda bigpicture."
"ideas."(i6 Nov. I943 VC)
trulynone-in mypresent
In 1948, tellingBishop that she has been going over a friend's
dangers,"Mooreadds,"Not a goodidea,as
"enumerating
manuscript
we know" (I4 Sept.I948 VC).
of Bishop'spublic
Not coincidentally,
thefirstand mostdelightful
tributes
to Moore,her "Invitationto Miss MarianneMoore,"seems
to date fromshortlyor immediatelyaftertheirexchangeabout
"Roosters."The "ELIZABETH KNOWS BEST" letterconcludes
witha questionthatpointstowardthepoem: "I wonderifyoucould
be mesmerizedacrossthe bridgeto see [a Klee show] again with
me?" In her letterof 9 DecemberI940 she announces,"I wish I
could thinkofsuchnicethingsto sayas youcan,but,anyway,I am
writinga poem withyou in mindand if it turnsout well I'll send
it-a verycheerfulpoem!" (RM). At this turningpoint when
Bishop is establishingher aestheticindependencefromher most
forher to producea conpoeticmodel,it is appropriate
important
sciousimitationand characterization
of herformermentor'spoetry.
for
capturesher strongaffection
The "Invitation"lightheartedly
she has studiedMoore'spoetic
Moore,whileprovinghow carefully
15
Letter to the author,postmarked I9 JulyI979;
copy in VC.
The Bishop / Moore Corr1espondence
425
from
herownwriting
It is alsoa wayofdifferentiating
techniques.
ofnegative
Moore's;the"musicalinaudibleabacus,"the"dynasties
turns,"theworldof
thatsuddenly
the"grammar
constructions,"
moralsand museumsare thoseof Moore's
factsand skyscrapers,
andnotofherown.
poetry
werereduced,
advisor
Moore'sdutiesas literary
I940, though
After
Bishopin everyway she
and encourage
to protect
she continued
onesforBishop,whowas living
could.The waryearsweredifficult
forthemostpartin Florida,thoughshespenta goodpartof I942
her
employment;
inMexico.Shewasunabletofindsuitable
traveling
fivedaysin an opticalshopin theKeyWestnavalyardprovided
and eczema
butgavehereyestrain
letters,
forfascinating
material
as well,so shehadtoquit.Thehousesheownedin KeyWestwasan
damagedby irresponsible
added burdensinceit was repeatedly
into
wastransformed
loved,
had
she
place
a
quiet
town,
The
tenants.
interfered
Theseupheavals
center.
noisyindustrial
an overcrowded,
of every
generalizing
"terrible
as did wartime's
withherwriting,
confora bookpublisher
I943 RM). Hersearch
emotion"
(I5 July
success.
without
tinued
to sustainherfriendfroma distance.She
Moorewas striving
her concernin repeatedpleas thatBishopnot conceal
expressed
orin fearofcausingalarm.Whenbecauseofthedistance
hardships
effusive
Mooreprovided
troubles,
particular
everBishopdidmention
forBishop,whowas
as if shewereemoting
sympathy-sometimes
in ordertocopewiththem.Here
herhardships
havingtodownplay
in Key
problems
tonewsfromMexicooftenant
is Moore'sresponse
wordofone'sbooks,one'sthings,
asrelayed
West:"Whatsocrushing
I hadbeenin thehouseI couldnotfeel
one'shouse,in jeopardy-if
aboutitthanI do" (8 Sept.I942 VC). WhenBishop
moremilitant
Mooreurgesherto
aboutnotbeingabletowrite,
soundsdiscouraged
herthatthebestthingsoften
takethingsas theycome,assuring
Bishopby praisingthe"heroism"
needto season.She encourages
andillness.
obstacles
through
withwhichshefights
contacts
Moorewas one of Bishop'smostimportant
In addition,
scenefromwhichshewas physically
withtheNew Yorkliterary
isolated.In the'40s-as was truelaterwhenshe livedin Brazilofliterary
news,includBishopreliedonMooretokeepherapprised
Theshoptalkthetwo
inperiodicals.
havemissed
ingwhatshemight
publishersmagazines,
books,writers,
womenexchanged-about
426
American Literature
musthavebeenparticularly
helpful
before
ofNorth
thepublication
& Southin sustaining
Bishop'ssenseof professional
identity-her
sensethatshewasa writer,
andonewitha future.
Bishopcontinued
toturntoMoore'spoetry
andessays
forpleasure
andintellectual
stimulation.
Shereread
Moore'sbooksoften,
andtook
particular
interest
in following
thelectures
Moorewasproducing
at
thistime.Havingseena GothamBookMartad indicating
thatMoore
hadoncegiventhestorea favorite-book
list,Bishopwroteforitand
thenevensentfora particular
editionof "The Bookof Job"mentionedthere.Her respect
forMoore'sworkcontinued
unabated;as
in a letter
sheherself
declared
Nevertheless:
appreciating
"Well,you
don'tbearanyresemblance
to any'current
product,'
to me-I was
justthinking
as I re-readthepoemsin bed thismorning
before
getting
up-if I'd neverseenanything
byM. Mooreatall,& noticed
'The Mind is an Enchanting
Thing' in a magazine,I would
immediately
start
offall overagain& lookupeverything
I couldfind
inthelibrary"
(9 Oct.1944 RM).
Meanwhile
Moorewas doingwhatshecouldto be of moreconcreteassistance
to Bishop'scareer.She wrotea letteron Bishop's
behalfthatmayhavecontributed
to herreceiving
theHoughton
Mifflin
PoetryPrize Fellowshipand thusto the publication
of
North& South.In thatrecommendation,
afterpraisingBishop's
"integrity
of simplicity,"
her"sophistication
without
manner"and
so on,Mooreforcefully
"Werewriting
concluded,
offered
by her,
tobe rejected,
itwouldimply-for
me-thatimagination
is without
value"(5 Jan.I945 RM). In lateryears,
similar
sheproduced
letters
forBishopon severaloccasions-in1947 fora Guggenheim,
in 1950
fortheLucyMartinDonnelly
Fellowship
fromBrynMawrCollege
(it wasMoorewhosuggested
sheapply),and in I965 fora RockefellerFoundationGrant.Bishopoccasionally
askedforassistance
withotherliterary
forexample,
matters;
sheconsulted
Mooreabout
whattitleto givehertranslation
of "HelenaMorley"'sBrazilian
diary(BlackBeansand Diamondswas a strong
contender),
andin
i968, whenshenervously
begangivingreadings,
sheaskedMoore
fortips.
Presumably,
Bishopwas neverin a positionto writeletters
of
recommendation
forMoore,butshe was able to reciprocate
with
otherkindsof support,
in theyearsfollowing
particularly
theapprenticeship
period.Bishopand Moore'srelationship
stabilized
as
one between
and mutualneed.
equals,basedon mutualgenerosity
The Bishop / Moore Correspondence
427
though
everwas reciprocal,
influence
This is not to say thatliterary
talksas ifthatwerethecase.Bishopdid sometimes
Mooresometimes
provideMoorewitha rhymeor two,and on atleastone occasiongave
helpfulsuggestionsabout a reviewMoore was workingon, but
by Bishop's.When Mooreresponds
Moore'spoetrywas not affected
of poeticdebtwith,"As forindebtedness,
toherfriend'sdeclarations
you say" (20 Sept.I959 VC),
Elizabeth,I would reverseeverything
upon receivinghercopyof North& South,
or whenshe comments,
"I feel a senseof elationwhereit seemsto me one or two of my
parallelyours!-butalways,alas,witha drag" (I4 Aug. I946
effects
at face value. They are
VC), we need not accepther statements
betweenBishop'swriting
oftheaffinities
acknowledgments
flattering
Bishop'sskilland originality.
and herown,phrasedto affirm
respectcertainly
was not mutual,professional
influence
If literary
was. Moore placed specialvalue on Bishop'spraiseforher workand detailedas her own. In
praise everybit as prompt,effusive,
Mooreoften
tonesthatecho Bishop'searliestletters,
self-deprecating
speaksof Bishop'sapprovinga piece as "a consolation"to her,or,
such as, "It
here to the textof a talk,makes statements
referring
thatyoucan see good in thesestruggles"
encouragesme unspeakably
cameto be especially
(2I March I942 VC). Bishop'sencouragement
preciousin themid '40S whenMoorewas nursingherdyingmother
and in thelate '40S when she was adjustingto livingalone forthe
firsttimein her life.Deprivedof her mother'seditorialassistance
on which she had alwaysdepended(Mrs. Moore had contributed
to thecriticism
of Bishop'sworksas well), she seemsto have found
Even in the '50s when she
heartening.
Bishop'spraiseparticularly
much
publicacclaim,Moore often
receivedso manyawardsand so
In I956, forinstance,shewroteto
doubtedthequalityofherwriting.
I am to youforlikingmy
Bishop:"I havenottoldyouhow grateful
I feltit ['thebook,'inserted
Auden and Eliotpiecesin Predilections.
with a caret] was too elementaryto give anyone. .
.
. A dry alert-
intrusiveness
is what I would like senness withno over-accented
laboriouscarefulness
tencesto be, and all I produceis a determined
to make the predicatematch the subject"(6 Feb. I956 VC). In
the praise of an admiredcolleague
momentsof discouragement,
carriedweight:gratefulfor Bishop'senthusiasmabout the Fables,
is freshness
sheexclaimed,"and thatyou,Elizabeth,whosespeciality
(27 Oct. I954 VC).
and flavorshouldcall it freshand transparent!"
excesBothwomenfoundtheother'spraisehelpfulin overcoming
428
American Literature
sivemodesty,
themtotakegreater
allowing
prideintheir
accomplishments;itis as ifthevalueofeither
one'sworkis notfullyapparent
untilreflected
in theother's
respected
eyes.As Mooreputit,when
dismissing
Bishop'sapologies
forhercontributions
to theMarianne
Mooreissueof Quarterly
ReviewofLiterature,
"We can'tbe satisfied
withwhatwe do. Justputting
a wordon papermakesme dislike
it but each testifies
thatthe othershouldventure
to incriminate
himself,
so we must"(14 Sept.I948 VC) .
Afterthemid '40s, however,thecoreof thisrelationship
was not
in factliterary,
and themostimportant
supportsBishopprovidedfor
Moorehad littleto do with"incriminating"
oneselfas an artist.The
followingpassage shows thatMoore treasuredBishop'slettersfor
personalreasons;in her eyeseven theirartisticvalue demonstrates
personaltriumph:
You invariably
offset
tragedy
withhope,Elizabeth.I havebeentelling
Motheraboutletters
ofyoursfromFlorida,aboutthewaterspout
and the
lizardstalkingflieson the whiteceilingand so muchelse-foramid
impasseuponimpasseyou made incidental
humorand "art"of everyI wasreading
thing.
theseletters
duringourwarfare
[withdisease?]-and
reading them to cheer myself..
.
. You have done so much for me,
I feela senseofdefeatin yournotknowing
Elizabeth,
thisbetter.... A
greatdealofthat"doing,"is thefactthatyouwereableto do whatwas
difficult
foryoutodo-thatyoucontrived
an egressfromtrouble.
(i June
I946 VC)
Afterher mother'sdeath,Moore looks to her youngerfriendas a
and resourcesshe mustsummon,declaring,"I'll
modelof strengths
trytocopyyou-trulywill" (I5 Oct.I947 VC) .
By thetimeNorth& Southappearedin print(1946), Mooreand
Bishop were two independentartists,friendswho shared certain
each other'spersonal
aesthetictastesand abilitieswhileappreciating
and poeticindividuality.
Having learnedduringthe apprenticeship
thatthe affinities
betweentheirworkswere limited,both women
testified
of the other'sart.Moore's first
oftento the distinctiveness
A
to
Gold
for
response
Spring, instance,
is,"I feeltheindividualitytheoriginality
affirmed"
(i9
Nov. I955 VC), and she oftensingles
in Bishop'swriting"thatone does not have in anyone
out effects
else" (20 Dec. I953 VC). Similarly,
in herQuarterly
Reviewtribute,
Bishopdesignates
Moore(withPoe) as one of"ourtwomostoriginal
The Bishop /Moore Correspondence
429
writers".16
The letterin which she sumsup her responseto What
beautiAre Years? saysit morememorably:"Well,it is a beautiful,
alone qualityof
fulbookand whatI likebestof all is thewonderful
it all-like thepiano alone in the middleof theconcerto"(23 Oct.
194I
RM).
Untiltheend of Moore'slife,thetwowomenremainedboundby
thathad drawnthem
alertness
thecommontastesand extraordinary
togetherin I934. One of the ways in which Bishop apparently
"Mariannewould
registered
herown visualpleasurewas bythinking,
likethat."She continueduntiltheend toinviteMooreto cometravel
style"or even to
Jane-Austen
withher or visit"in the two-month
She had beenextending
staywithherand Lota in Brazil "forever."
theseinvitations
steadilysinceherfirsttourof Europein I935, when
she and a friendhad invitedMoore to accompanythemto Spain.
By the '6os when it becameclear thatMoore would neverin fact
come, these invitationsassumed a ritualizedquality-ceremonial
reminders
of thedelightsBishopand Mooreshare:"Last week was
the week when all the grassgoes to seed and turnsred-driftsof
rubiesall overthemountains-at sunsetthesun shinesthroughthe
It would be a lovelyweek to have
grass-tops,
like pink snow-fields.
youas a visitor"(3 JuneI959 RM). Thoughmovedby Bishop's
offers,
Moore remainedat home. Yet becauseher formerprotegee
Moore
and describers,
livingobservers
was one oftheworld'sgreatest
proclaimingit an "OPTICAL
could enjoy thattravelvicariously,
aboutit all!" (30 Sept.I964 VC).
HOLIDAY forme,hearing
16
"As We Like It," p.
I33.