Icebergs

thingiverse

In Elizabeth Bishop's poem, "The Imaginary Iceberg," the speakers express their preference for an iceberg over a ship, despite it signaling the end of their voyage. The iceberg is described as a "breathtaking plain of snow" that stands still like a cloudy rock amidst the moving marble of the sea. Its presence evokes images of a serene, snow-covered field, untouched by the ship's sails lying on the water's surface. The iceberg is depicted as a solemn, floating field, potentially providing nourishment for other icebergs that may awaken from their slumber. It is also compared to a stage, with its glassy pinnacles correcting elliptics in the sky, while the ship is ignored. The iceberg's weight is dared upon a shifting stage and stands still, cutting its facets from within, like jewelry saved from a grave. The poem concludes with the ship steering away to a warmer sky as the speakers contemplate the beauty of the self-made iceberg, reflecting on how it resembles the soul made from invisible elements.