Poetic Style of Mary Oliver - Essay Example

The nature of poetry represents one of the foundational aspects of literature. Poetic language explores the innovative fringes of language and oftentimes articulates feelings and emotions that cannot be captured by traditional prose. While there are an infinite degree of modern poetic incarnations, one meaningful poem is Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese. While some critics have derided Oliver’s work as overly sentimental (Dempsey, 2002), to others the work is powerful and inspirational. This essay examines the literary elements of metaphor, simile, and symbolism within this poetic work.

Oliver’s ‘Wild Geese’ implements several metaphors in establishing its poetic message. Metaphor is of particular meaning within this poetic work as one can argue that the entire poem functions with metaphorical significance. Throughout the poem, the speaker is imploring the reader to accept their life and go into the world. The main metaphorical significance in these regards is the reference to wild geese. One notes that in large part this is a thematic concern within Mary Oliver’s work, which is indicated to have a strong communion with naturalistic elements ("Mary Oliver Biography", 2010). Oliver writes, “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,/ the world offers itself to your imagination,/ calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting” (Oliver, 14-16). This is a vision of the world, not as smooth and perfect, but harsh and bumpy. Still, establishing the call of the geese as a metaphor for existence, it presents this discord as beauty.

In terms of simile, the poem makes several powerful connections. One such connection occurs when Oliver writes, “You only have to let the soft animal of your body/ love what it loves” (Oliver, 4-5). Here Oliver is making a simple connection between the nature of an animal and one’s body. This is a powerful connection as it harkens to an understanding of animals as raw and instinctually based. In noting that the person should embrace this animal nature of their body or existence, the poem is in a sense saying that the individual need not be concerned about the oftentimes complicated nature of existence, but simply embrace their needs and desire. This minimalist message carries with it a strong means of comforting the reader.

Oliver’s ‘Wild Geese’ also makes strong use of symbolism. One witness a symbolic message early in the poem as Oliver writes, “You do not have to walk on your knees/For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting” (Oliver, 2-3). This statement is a symbolic allusion to the Biblical story where Jesus walked through the desert. In rejecting this notion, the poem is rooting its message firmly in contemporary reality, in a sense telling the reader that to achieve contentment they do not have to undergo a major spiritual transformation. This is highly meaningful for people struggling in their own lives.

In conclusion, this essay has examined Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese. The essay examined elements of metaphor, simile, and symbolism. In considering these elements, it’s revealed that the poem presents a vision of existence as beautiful for its harsh and bumpy nature. In establishing this it implements several poetic techniques. Ultimately, the poem goes beyond simply implementing poetic language but implores others to embrace their lives even for their faults and imperfections.