Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History Colors (New!) Easter eggs (New!)

Literary notes about Fish (AI summary)

The word "fish" in literature is employed in a variety of ways that extend beyond its literal sense, often serving as a rich metaphorical or symbolic element. Authors use fish to evoke natural abundance or scarcity—Thoreau observes that his pond is not very fertile in fish ([1]), while Chekhov and Kipling employ the act of catching fish to suggest a pursuit of opportunity or understanding ([2], [3]). In mythological and religious texts, fish take on spiritual significance, as seen in Homer’s portrayal of ancient fishing practices ([4]) and their ritualistic inclusion in biblical narratives ([5]). Meanwhile, in works such as Melville’s Moby Dick and Kipling’s Just So Stories, fish serve as playful symbols for human traits or social commentary ([6], [7]); and in scientific and observational writings, fish become a subject of detailed study, marking the boundary between art and nature ([8], [9]). This multifaceted usage illustrates how fish transcend their physical existence to represent deeper cultural, philosophical, and natural themes in literature.
  1. Nevertheless, this pond is not very fertile in fish.
    — from Walden, and On The Duty Of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
  2. Let us catch fish!
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  3. Suppose a boat were lowered and I was ordered to go a hundred miles out to sea to fish—I would go.
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  4. Note 104 ( return ) [ In the islands of Favognana and Marettimo off Trapani I have seen men fish exactly as here described.
    — from The Odyssey by Homer
  5. And Jesus cometh and taketh bread and giveth them: and fish in like manner. 21:14.
    — from The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete
  6. And what are you, reader, but a Loose-Fish and a Fast-Fish, too? H2 anchor CHAPTER 90.
    — from Moby Dick; Or, The Whale by Herman Melville
  7. So he said to the ‘Stute Fish, ‘This man is very nubbly, and besides he is making me hiccough.
    — from Just so stories by Rudyard Kipling
  8. This is seen with typical regularity in the transverse section of the tail of a fish (Fig. 346).
    — from Paradise Lost by John Milton
  9. No one regards the external similarity of a mouse to a shrew, of a dugong to a whale, of a whale to a fish, as of any importance.
    — from On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Threepeat Redux