Mary Oliver spent decades writing about trees, birds, and tides as if they were old friends rather than scenery, turning ordinary walks into some of the most widely read poetry of the past century. Her poems have become a kind of quiet refuge for readers who long to feel closer to nature but rarely get the chance.
“Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.”
Mary Oliver spent a childhood escaping into the Ohio woods and a lifetime writing about what she found there. She was an American poet, known for her unique writing style through which she talked about nature and the self. From a young age, she found solace by wandering around and writing poems, hiding away from her difficult home. She later built her life in a tiny village in Massachusetts, still surrounded by the primeval forests of the Atlantic Coast. Her body of work includes more than twenty-five poetry collections, in addition to several essay collections, making her one of the most prolific poets of her generation.
One of the most striking features of her poetry is the deeply intimate way in which she portrays the wilderness. Oliver grants trees and birds an almost human presence, allowing them to act as companions, teachers, and silent guardians throughout her life. There is so much to learn from the world around us, and sometimes in the stern silence of the cold forest air you can find the best advice. Her poems often revolve around unanswered questions and the pursuit of self-discovery, so by turning to the natural world, she hopes to find the answers to her innermost mysteries. In “The Swan”, the questions come in their most literal form: she addresses the reader directly, asking whether they noticed the swan flying by, and if the swan’s presence was strong enough to create a ripple in their thoughts: ”And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?//And have you changed your life?” Her persistent use of second-person address makes the poem feel like a calm conversation with a friend on a summer evening, as the sun sets over the lake. The vivid descriptions and beautifully crafted similes paint a picture of stillness and harmony, contrasting the dynamism of the swan. Similarly, her poem “Wild Geese”, being the most renowned one for good reason, touches on self-acceptance, comparing one’s untamed spirit and desire to be forgiven to wild geese that are “harsh and exciting”. Once again, she addresses the reader directly, encouraging them to open up and promising to share her own experience too: “Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.” Moreover, she rarely reaches for elaborate imagery to make her point, rather her diction stays plain, patient, and unhurried, as if the wonder was already there and never needed dressing up. In this way, the wilderness stops being scenery and becomes something closer to a conversation partner, one she keeps returning to, again and again, in search of herself.
Escapism is often present in her writing, represented by the birds flying freely across different landscapes. She probably yearned for that freedom during her younger age. Her special connection to birds awakens a desire to experience their effortless freedom and glide on the wind above seemingly infinite mountains. Being stuck in the city all the time, I hardly ever find the time to experience the nature in a more tangible sense. Even during the holidays, it gets increasingly harder as we age to organize trips and find a way to return to the landscapes. I grew up surrounded by mountains and forests, so I keep chasing the quiet of the woodlands in any way I can. Oliver’s poems have so far been the most comforting remedy for the longing I feel. It truly inspires me how someone can paint such a magical picture of the world through beautifully crafted stanzas.
Mary Oliver also has a unique way of drawing parallels between love and nature. She compares soft gestures to quiet streams flowing through forests and feelings of desire to the warm morning sunlight touching the leaves. In her poetry, falling in love appears as one of the most grounding human experiences. At a time in my life when I too find myself falling for someone special, her poems have become a language through which I understand my own emotions. I think love and nature are expressions of the same force, and one cannot exist without the other. Through love, I find the same sense of calm and belonging that only the tallest mountain peaks have given me. Looking into his eyes feels like standing at the edge of a valley, gazing into its immense depths. It is frightening and yet exciting, except that this time I’m not afraid of falling.
Lately, her poetry has felt like a sanctuary filled with peace and tenderness, sheltering me from the uncertainties that are constantly showing up on the news. She is a reminder that the world does, in fact, go on no matter what: despite all the worries that I feel, and the suffering that I witness, the sun will rise, and the birds will still sing their ancient morning prayers, indifferent to the chaos we create, quietly insisting that life continues.
Hello everyone! My name is Teodora and I’m a 3rd year BIEM student from Bucharest, Romania. I spend my free time reading up on political issues from around the world and I’m particularly keen on topics concerning the European Union. On a more personal note, I’m passionate about art history, music and writing about the world around me.
