Abstract: Elizabeth Bishop is one of the most important woman poets in the United States. Her slightly mysterious life experience and sophisticated poetry have been the focus of the research content of many literati scholars. This thesis, theoretically based on Lacan’s mirror image, fully explores the relationship between the spiritual and real world presented in Bishop’s poems, at the same time, analyzes how she finds the relationship between spiritual world and real world and her self-identity in her poetry. What the poet experienced is uncommon. However, modern people who lose themselves in the frequent social problem and mixed social value system are also faced with heavy pressure. In this view, the exploration and reconstruction of self-identity in Bishop’s poems just in time corresponds to what we lack of and need in nowadays.                    

Key words: Elizabeth Bishop; Lacan’s theory of mirror image; Loss of identity; self-identification and reconstruction

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 Brief Introduction to Elizabeth Bishop and her Poetry-1

1.2 Lacan and Mirror Stage Theory-2

1.3 Literature Review-3

2. Poetry of Loss of Identity-6

2.1 Miserable Childhood-6

2.2 Loss of Love-7

2.2.1 Loss of Maternal Love in Questions of Travel-8

2.2.2 Strong Desire for Maternal Love in A Drunkard-8

3. Reconstruction of Self-identity-10

3.1 Consciousness of Loss-10

3.2 Searching for Self-identity-11

3.2.1 Self-identity Searching in Sestina-11

3.2.2 Self-identity Searching in Fish-11

    3.3 Self-construction-12

3.3.1 Receiving Friends’ Love-13

3.3.2 Seeking for Lover’s Love-14

3.3.3 Returning to the love-15

4. Conclusion-16

References-17