Question

I caught a tremendous fish

and held him beside the boat
half out of water, with my hook
fast in a corner of his mouth.
He didn't fight.
He hadn't fought at all.
He hung a grunting weight,
battered and venerable
and homely. Here and there
his brown skin hung in strips
like ancient wallpaper,
and its pattern of darker brown
was like wallpaper:
Which best describes the effect of simile on the overall meaning in this excerpt?
A. It explains that the fish is like a pattern to illustrate just how old it appears to the speaker.
B. It compares the fish's skin to wallpaper to support the image of a shabby but admirable fish.
C. It describes the fish as battered and homely to build on the theme of disillusionment.
D. It makes the fish take on the qualities of a grandparent to show how much the speaker respects it.

Answer 1

B. It compares the fish's skin to wallpaper to support the image of a shabby but admirable fish.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this poem, the speaker compares the fish to old wallpaper. He tells us that the brown skin of the fish hung in strips. What this use of imagery conveys is the idea of a venerable, old fish. He is shabby, and not physically impressive necessarily. However, he is admirable and respected by the speaker.