{"id":181,"date":"2025-09-23T08:59:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T14:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mindfulofnature.org\/network\/?post_type=knowledgebase&p=181"},"modified":"2025-09-25T07:38:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T13:38:28","slug":"poems-by-mary-oliver","status":"publish","type":"knowledgebase","link":"https:\/\/www.mindfulofnature.org\/network\/documents-wiki\/awake-in-the-wild\/poetry\/poems-by-mary-oliver\/","title":{"rendered":"Poems by Mary Oliver"},"content":{"rendered":"

1.\u00a0\u201cWild Geese\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Why we love this poem<\/strong>: If you\u2019ve 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u201cThe Swan\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Why we love this poem:\u00a0<\/strong>The swan in this poem is a kind of shapeshifter \u2014 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?<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t Hesitate\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Why we love this poem<\/strong>: Sometimes it can be hard to bask in a moment of happiness, especially when you\u2019re convinced that the feeling won\u2019t last. The poem acknowledges this, but it also urges the reader to seize every moment of joy and possibility, and savor it \u2014 no matter how small!<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u201cDogfish\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Why we love this poem<\/strong>: This best Mary Oliver poem is on the longer side, so we\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u201cWhen Death Comes\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Why we love this poem<\/strong>: This poem confronts death head-on with beauty and grace \u2014meeting it not with fear, but with curiosity. The speaker of the poem isn\u2019t paralyzed by a fear of death but sees it as a call to experience everything that life has to offer. The line about being \u201ca bride married to amazement\u201d never fails to move me.<\/p>\n

More Great Poems<\/p>\n