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영어

This study examines how two major Modern art trends, Geometric and Biomorphic abstractions, are embodied in Bishop’s “In the Waiting Room.” The poet who had been keeping interest in the visual arts throughout her whole life accomplishes her own ekphrasis through two nonobjective abstractions in the poem. Geometric abstraction has a “simple geometric forms” showing “nonillusionistc space” and “nonobjective compositions” like works of Piet Mondrian or Vladimir Tatlin. Bishop uses these Geometric compositions in describing the frame of The National Geographic Magazine and circular images, and shows integrative vision overcoming division of two different things. Biomorphism, contrary to Geometric abstraction, is “curvilinear, decorative, romantic, spontaneous and irrational.” Eva Hesse expresses her biomorphic arts through a description of genital organs. Bishop’s poem shows the Biomorphism through fragmented body parts which look sexual, and incomplete circular structure. Having “the wandering identity” the speaker makes her new adventure and faces up to the unknown world in the dentist’s waiting room. And this leads her into the inner growth. Representing the speaker’s inner growth, the two oppositional abstractions are infused into the poem.