“Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver

Descripción

11th grade English Mapa Mental sobre “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver, creado por Joseph Gianotti el 18/01/2021.
Joseph Gianotti
Mapa Mental por Joseph Gianotti, actualizado hace más de 1 año
Joseph Gianotti
Creado por Joseph Gianotti hace casi 4 años
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Resumen del Recurso

“Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver
  1. Author Background
    1. Mary Oliver – b. 1935, d. 2019
      1. Born in Cleveland, Ohio.
        1. As a child, Oliver spent much of her free time outside in order to avoid her chaotic household.
          1. As a result, much of her poetry focuses on nature.
            1. She was once called “an indefatigable guide to the natural world.”
              1. She remained a prolific writer throughout her life; as such, she won a number of writing awards over the years.
                1. Ex. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and the National Book Award in 1992.
    2. Poem Background
      1. Published in 1986 in "Dream Work", Oliver’s 7th collection of poetry.
        1. The poem explores similar themes to her other poems.
          1. Notably, she explores the relationships and connections between humans and nature.
            1. Her work stands out in the period after the 1960s and 1970s as very straightforward and contemplative, as opposed to more avant-garde works.
      2. Breakdown of the Poem
        1. You do not have to be good.
          1. You do not have to walk on your knees
            1. for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
              1. You only have to let the soft animal of your body
                1. love what it loves.
                  1. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
                    1. Meanwhile the world goes on.
                      1. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
                        1. are moving across the landscapes,
                          1. over the prairies and the deep trees,
                            1. the mountains and the rivers.
                              1. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
                                1. are heading home again.
                                  1. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
                                    1. the world offers itself to your imagination
                                      1. calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
                                        1. over and over announcing your place
                                          1. in the family of things.
                                            1. These last two lines connect back to the idea of having a home in the world. Oliver tells readers that they are a part of the natural world no matter what. If they feel lonely or adrift, then they only need to seek out nature to feel grounded in something real and dynamic.
                                          2. Oliver emphasizes that everyone has a place in the wide world. She uses the words "harsh and exciting", which brings to mind the pain and pleasure in life (duality).
                                    2. The first mention of the title. Oliver likely mentions geese in particular, because of their migratory lives. She is reassuring readers that they always have a home to come back to, even if it isn’t a typical “home.”
                            2. Oliver is reminding the reader that even as humans have their worries, despair, and problems, the natural world moves on. It is a steady constant in a crazy, hectic life.
                            3. Oliver is ready and willing to share the reader’s burdens.
                          2. Oliver then begins exploring the connection between humanity and nature ("soft animal"). She is reminding readers that humans, too, can simply worry about basic instincts rather than more "worldly" concerns.
                      2. The first few lines are a reassuring statement. The first part is a reminder that you do not have to be perfect or overly self critical.
                    2. Wild Geese Analysis
                      1. Structure
                        1. 1 stanza – 18 lines
                          1. Free verse, not particularly complex
                        2. Perspective
                          1. Written from the perspective of someone addressing someone else.
                            1. Oliver establishes an intimate feeling in the poem by addressing the reader directly.
                          2. Poetic Devices
                            1. Metaphor
                              1. Ex. "the soft animal of your body".
                                1. Oliver’s use of metaphor connects human beings with nature.
                                  1. Oliver shows that humans, too, have natural instincts. We should sometimes just let ourselves simply exist in the world and give into basic impulses.
                                    1. However, Oliver probably isn’t suggesting that people live without morals. Rather, humans shouldn’t have so many worries.
                              2. Simile
                                1. Ex. “calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting”.
                                  1. Oliver compares the opportunities awaiting the reader to the call of the wild geese.
                                    1. This call, similar to wild geese, is a harsh and exciting sound
                                      1. It is inviting the reader to see wonder in the world, despite their loneliness or suffering.
                                2. Imagery
                                  1. Ex. “walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.”
                                    1. This image is very harsh and brings to mind a kind of religious feeling.
                                      1. “Repent” is a word related to asking for forgiveness à especially for a sin or poor behavior.
                                        1. There is also a sense of regret in the word “repenting.” Oliver is telling readers that they do not have to focus/linger on past actions.
                                  2. Repetition
                                    1. Ex. “over and over”.
                                      1. This repetition emphasizes the constancy of the call of the world and the call of the wild geese.
                                    2. Anaphora
                                      1. Ex. “You do not have to…” “Meanwhile the…”
                                        1. In two instances, Oliver repeats a phrase at the beginning of a line. This gives the poem a conversational tone.
                                          1. And “Meanwhile the…” connects the world, the natural landscape, and the wild geese into the same idea of constancy and dependability.
                                      2. Alliteration
                                        1. Ex. “meanwhile” “mountain” “moving”.
                                          1. Oliver places gentle emphasis on these sounds.
                                        2. Enjambment
                                          1. Ex. “harsh and exciting - / over and over announcing your place / in the family of things”.
                                            1. There are more examples of enjambment in the poem. • But the final two lines are broken up to emphasize these final thoughts.
                                              1. The last line is “in the family of things.” • The poem truly is one where Oliver shows how everyone does have a place in the world, just like the wild geese.
                                          2. Asyndeton
                                            1. Ex. “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.”
                                              1. Asyndeton is the lack of contractions between phrases.
                                                1. There is a slight use in the above lines –> “the deep trees, / the mountains”
                                        3. Themes and Symbols
                                          1. Comfort in Nature
                                            1. Nature is a comfort for Oliver and she wants others to see comfort in it, too.
                                              1. She writes about and stresses the wonders of the natural world.
                                                1. The natural world moves forward no matter what à Oliver emphasizes how dependable nature is in the face of a crazy life.
                                            2. Human Vulnerability and Suffering
                                              1. The way Oliver writes about human suffering is very simple.
                                                1. Ex. “You do not have to be good.” – The first line of the poem is a simple, yet powerful statement. Oliver points out how flawed and imperfect humans are (and therefore vulnerable), but in the same breath asserts that it is okay to NOT be perfect.
                                                  1. Ex. “Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.” For Oliver, despair is something that anyone might be feeling. She makes it feel normal, too, by offering to share her own human suffering.
                                                    1. Ex. “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,” Oliver connects human suffering to the idea of loneliness. Even the loneliest person can find comfort in nature.
                                              2. Finding Purpose
                                                1. Oliver also seems to comment on the idea of purpose in life. o Humans are relentlessly reminded each day that they should have some reason for living. o If you do not have a purpose then your life may feel strange.
                                                  1. But Oliver lets readers know that it is okay to just exist. o Everyone has “a place / in the family of things.”
                                                2. Wild Geese
                                                  1. The geese are the only specific animal mentioned in the poem.
                                                    1. The wild geese display their freedom through their “harsh and exciting” call.
                                                      1. Wild geese represent the beauty, freedom, and constancy that Oliver sees in the natural world. However, geese have a special characteristic. Oliver mentions how the geese “are heading home again.” They are free, but they also have a home, they have a place in the world.

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