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Wild Geese By Mary Oliver Analysis

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Loving Yourself “Wild Geese” is a poem published in 1986 by Mary Oliver. It is a poem composed of one stanza and 18 lines. It is also written in free verse meaning that the poem has no specific structure. Through the poem, the speaker shares an important flaw that is part of human nature. It is Human’s nature to be unaccepting of oneself and not love who you are. However, the speaker encourages the readers to accept themselves because the world is beautiful and loves everyone. The poem begins with the speaker expressing that, “You do not have to be good” (1). Automatically the speaker is setting a tone of ease to the readers. The speaker then continues to explain, “You do not have to walk on your knees/ for a hundred miles through the desert repenting” (2-3). The image of walking in the desert on your knees is very painful. Pulling your knees for hundreds of miles in dry, hot weather. This is very strong because it is in human nature to always be sorry for not …show more content…

These lines of imagery make it easy to envision the sun, the smell of the rain, the trees, mountains and rivers. This can be used to further prove humans are always unsatisfied with oneself, however there’s more to life than stress and guilt. The speaker continues the use of imagery with, “Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,/are heading home again” (12-13). Not only can you envision wild geese flying but also a clear beautiful blue sky. This is the first time the speaker references her tittle of wild geese, and she does it in a form of a metaphor. The wild geese flying in the air is symbolic to freedom, and the speaker is telling the reader to be free and let go all the stress that haunts the reader. Going home is going back to a state in life where you are in sync with the world and its

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