“The Monument” is a poem describing an object. The object, which represents a work of art, is meant to indicate the relationship between an artist and his work. The poet also illustrates the impact of this work of art on its audience and the world in general. Written in seventy-eight lines of free verse, the poem is structured as a dialogue. The two speakers retain conflicting opinions about the monument and both dwell on its representation to the audience.
The poem begins with the question, “Now can you see the monument?” The question signals that the reader is intersecting an ongoing conversation. It also implies that the first speaker is convincing the second of the intended meaning of the monument. The monument is designed with wooden boxes of different sizes piled against each other in descending order. Bishop employs the two speakers to showcase how different people view the object and its significance. The first speaker sees the monument as a work of artwork with meaning and life whereas the second sees the monument as an aesthetic material without any significance whatsoever.
As the poem concludes, Bishop defends the opinion of the monument being a work of art with meaning. She also argues that like any living being, the work of art can transform its meaning depending on its creator. The significance of the monument does not solely depend on the relationship to that which it embodies. Rather, the monument bears its own reason for existence like any form of art.
