Something about this poem is fishy.
A Display of Mackerel seems to comment on the (seemingly shared) human existential crisis – what really is our place in the world? The poem’s juxtaposition between the prismatic, colourful allure of community and the fear of getting lost amongst others begs the question: to what extent are we special if everyone else is too?
What I love about this poem is the visual imagery Doty employs – creating an almost ethereal atmosphere. Between his descriptions of “the wildly rainbowed mirror of a soapbubble sphere” and “a universe of shimmer”, Doty establishes a naturalistic perfection – one we are (or at least I am) drawn to and slightly envious of. This makes the turning point of the poem all the more drastic – do we really want to be “unduplicatable”, “doomed”, “lost”? I love this poem. His immediate transfer back to more positively connoted lines creates a sense of confusion – I don’t know what I prefer anymore.