1. “Wild Geese”
Why we love this poem: If you’ve ever felt that the world was falling down around you, this poem serves as a soothing reminder to connect with yourself, with nature, and with others around you. Oliver’s image of geese in flight is meant to lift the reader and carry them out of any despair and loneliness that they might be feeling.
2. “The Swan”
Why we love this poem: The swan in this poem is a kind of shapeshifter — it can be soft and beautiful like silk or flower petals, or it can be harsh and relentless like snow or a waterfall. The poem reminds us that change is a natural part of life, and the final line is a challenge to the reader: What shape will you take?
3. “Don’t Hesitate”
Why we love this poem: Sometimes it can be hard to bask in a moment of happiness, especially when you’re convinced that the feeling won’t last. The poem acknowledges this, but it also urges the reader to seize every moment of joy and possibility, and savor it — no matter how small!
4. “Dogfish”
Why we love this poem: This best Mary Oliver poem is on the longer side, so we’ve only included a snippet, but we encourage you to read it in its entirety! Oliver brilliantly weaves the image of the dogfish into a poem about surviving the past and the harsh realities of the world.
5. “When Death Comes”
Why we love this poem: This poem confronts death head-on with beauty and grace —meeting it not with fear, but with curiosity. The speaker of the poem isn’t paralyzed by a fear of death but sees it as a call to experience everything that life has to offer. The line about being “a bride married to amazement” never fails to move me.
More Great Poems
- At Blackwater Pond
- At Great Pond
- Aunt Leaf
- Black Oaks
- Dogfish
- Egrets
- Fall Song
- Honey At The Table
- I Looked Up
- Mockingbirds
- Sleeping In The Forest
- The Chance To Love Everything
- The Humpbacks
- The Journey
- The Storm
- The Sun
- The Swan
- When Death Comes
- Wild Geese