Reader Response
Abstract
After reading Mary Oliver’s Poem, Wild Geese, I analyze the language used within the text and elaborate and even interpret some of the ideas Mary Oliver may have been trying to convey. I resonated very heavily with this poem in particular, and I display as much within the text. With the perspective of the world being so vast and having the freedom to explore it with an open heart, it has left a lasting impression upon me.
Original Copy
Revised Version
Expressions Of Life
Mary Oliver’s poem, Wild Geese, is a gentle reminder that no matter what people do, the world and all the things living in it never stops moving. Oliver encourages the reader to “let the soft animal of your body love what it loves” (line 4-5), characterizing the audience as pure, soft animals, creating a sense of calm and innocence. She describes nature in its natural state of being, stating that the “wild geese, high in the clean blue wire, are heading home again,” (line 12-13) giving this sense of lightness and freedom.
I believe this poem is beautiful. The light language used within it feels very soft and lighthearted, providing this sensation of alleviation. I believe it is within America’s culture to encourage hard and fast ways of living. It encourages this burnout culture, promoting long work hours, harsh working conditions, and as a result it leaves us to completely disregard our mental health in order to be able to even fathom living comfortably. It leaves us taking on more responsibility than we know how to handle. This poem hits me in particular because I often find myself in this hustle mentality, where I have to do everything right and turn in all of my work down to the minute, so much so that I’m caused extreme anxiety leading up to and even well after an assignment has already passed. It’s created this idea that if I’m not perfect, I’ve failed.
So, when reading the expressions within this poem for the first time, I genuinely felt my shoulders relax. In some ways it acted as a reminder to just take a moment to stop and breathe. Mary Oliver portrays this idea of letting us have a moment to express our grievances, and then she says, “Meanwhile the world goes on”. This idea seems somewhat contradictory– as does most of this poem. Oliver leads with a positive thought, and then ends with a vague statement, leaving only implications. The implications I derived from these, however, only contribute to the positive statements. The idea that while you are enduring hardships the world will continue to move implies that in some ways, those hardships are already behind you. You’ve already overcome the difficulty, and with time continuously moving, there’s only more possibility for good things to happen.
My favorite line in particular is when she said, “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination” (lines 14-15). The idea that “the world offers itself to your imagination” can be attributed to the idea that “anything is possible”. Imagination itself is very broad, with no real limitations, where you can explore new ideas and new ways of being. And in a world, that’s as vast and dynamic and versatile as this one, that idea extends itself into reality, where you can put these supposed imaginations into practice.
This poem truly inspires hope. From encouraging individuality, to validating that our existence within the world is truly very minimal in the grand scheme of things, these daunting ideas are only meant to inspire the idea of possibility. She says, “the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting” (lines 15-16). The usage of wild geese being harsh and exciting can be a metaphor for life. Life is incredibly harsh, but in the right framing, it can be exhilarating.
