Analyzing Mary Olivers Poem Wild Geese - 633 Words

Poetry is a powerful way that we can experience language, make connections that are not always apparent, as well as discoveries about ourselves, our emotions, and out connections with the world. Mary Olivers poem, Wild Geese, for instance, speaks directly to the reader with encouragement, wonder, and hope. It does not rhyme in the conventional sense, and is more prose oriented. But, using the allusion of wild geese, soaring high above the basic cares of the world, we can completely understand Olivers view that all things are possible. Too, the poem is quite musical in its rhythm: You do not have to be good da dadadada da You do not have to walk da dadadada da, etc. You only have to let Meanwhile the world goes on Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles Meanwhile the wild geese Metaphors are another powerful theme in the poem, and while not too difficult to imagine, they nevertheless allow us to feel and visualize the universe as expressed by Oliver: The soft animal of your body Two things come to mind here; the idea that an animal is soft and protective, and the idea that there is an animal part of our bodies that is gentle, kind, and willing to express itself. Sun and pebbles move across the landscapes While we intellectually know that there is a process of nature that forms the environment, the idea of calmly having these processes envisioned expresses purpose, calmness, and the cycle of life The wild geese, high in the clean blue air The image