My favorite part of the poem was the beginning when Bishop states, "The art of losing isn't hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster."
This was interesting because of the symbolism in it. She's saying that things or people are meant to be lost and its not a disaster for the fact that the loss was expected. In my opinion, I think Bishop is speaking of the loss of a loved one.
Although the loss of the person might have been painful, it wasn't a disaster because all things get lost and we lose people close to us.
Yes, but that last image--notice how the speaker must force herself to say it--takes things in another direction, and encourages the reader to rethink the apparent ease/acceptance of loss imaged previously. Listing to Bishop's reading of this may help--see the video on VV (extensions exercise on Bb) in which she reads this poem.
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