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Poetry · Chapter
XX explained
A brief epitaph for Joseph Redding, who popularized catfish but never ate it himself, and whose death is mourned by the catfish.
What happens
A brief epitaph for Joseph Redding, who popularized catfish but never ate it himself, and whose death is mourned by the catfish.
Themes in this chapter
Mortality and Regret
The epitaph reflects on death and the irony of Redding's life and diet.
Characters to notice
- Death
Portrayed as the lone fisherman who lands Joseph Redding.
Key passages
“Here lies Joseph Redding, who gave us the catfish. He dined upon every fish except that fish.”
Joseph Redding is buried here; he introduced catfish to us but never ate it himself.
Highlights the irony of Redding's contribution versus his personal consumption.
“The catfish meowed with unspeakable woe When Death, the lone fisherman, landed their Jo.”
The catfish cried out in great sorrow when Death, like a solitary angler, caught their Joe.
Personifies catfish mourning Redding's death.