You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
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.
Oliver starts off by saying that "you do not need to be good" or "walking on your knees" to be happy, but just love what you love. I think this means to look inside yourself, and if you do that, then the harsh part of life isn't as bad is it may seem.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the phrases "world offers itself to your imagination,calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting" and "let..your body love what it loves" is telling you to go out, try new things and make sure you are having fun doing it. The words exciting and imagination are able to infer a pleasant tone and a type of meaning of freedom. I am delighted to see that this poem can not ultimately describe a love relationship but a broad range of things.
ReplyDeleteMary Oliver persuasive ideas about life suggest you should live a colorful redesigned life no matter what.
ReplyDeleteThis definitely seems like a pretty interesting poem. The use of the line "for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting" seems to be really powerful. I feel like he is saying you don't have to sit back and feel bad for the past. You should look into the future and create a place with in the world for yourself and your goals/dreams. This is supported by the line "over and over announcing your place
ReplyDeletein the family of things".
Mary Oliver talks about the world and the nature in it such as "the sun and clear pebbles of the rain" and "the mountains and rivers". I think the symbolism is in what she says next. It writes "the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again." She says this meaning that the geese are ones who have died and are heading home possibly to heaven. It then goes on to say how the world calls to you no matter who you are and that everyone has a place.
ReplyDelete