Insomnia : Commentary

In the poem Insomnia by Elizabeth Bishop the reader is taken to another world, much like a dream it elicits a feeling that one does not have to understand on an intellectual level to be affected by. In this world time is also suspended, mimicking the feeling of being in limbo that often occurs with a bout of insomnia. The second stanza closes with, “and drop it down the well” (line 12). Here we are taken down a rabbit hole of sorts, and in this strange place everything is “inverted.” I found it interest to learn that at the time Bishop wrote the poem it was quite common for people to refer to lesbians as “inverts.”

The moon is typically gendered as a feminine symbol and here Bishop uses feminine pronouns when referring to it throughout “Insomnia.” The first stanza speaks of the inability to sleep, hence the title. It seems as though something is keeping her awake, and the second stanza speaks of seeking refuge, which makes me think that perhaps it is something sinister preventing sleep. The refuges mentioned in lines 9 and 10 are a body of water and a mirror. The former reminded me of Bishop’s “January 1st, 1582,” which ends with women under attack seeking shelter in the Brazilian landscape. In both of these, Bishop depicts the natural world as a feminine entity and also as a place for women to be safe. A body of water, like a mirror, can also act as a reflection.

In line 15 Bishop writes, “where the shadows are really the body,” which has an interesting connection to the moon. The moon reflects the shadow of the sun’s light, so one could interpret the moon as an inversion itself. The poem up until this point talks about the moon looking at herself (in the bureau mirror in line 1 and dwelling on the mirror or water in lines 9-10). If you follow this line of thinking then the moon is a reflection of the sun, and reflections are always a distorted image of what is “real.” However, sometimes it is all we have. Reflections are often our only opportunity for self-examination and they can be an escape as the last stanza illustrates. Here it the the rose-colored glasses with which the speaker can interpret her reality. This poem ends on a vulnerable note with “and you love me” (line 18), which is the inversion of “I love you.” It is a powerful, but sole, indication that “Insomnia” is about unrequited love.