The Implication of “Death” in Mary Oliver’s Poetry
The poems of Mary Oliver are hailed as masterpieces and classics of the genre, and vary in theme from the wilderness to family life. Despite the multiple different ideas in her poetry, one theme tends to stick out in a depressing way: death. A good portion of Mary Oliver’s writings use death to teach lessons about how life should be lived. The poems that support this theme the best include “Vultures,” “The Black Snake,” and “When Death Comes.”
The poem “Vultures” is a good introduction to what Mary Oliver’s perception of death is in the natural world. At its core, this poem speaks to the cycle of life and death more than anything, and how death is a natural part of life. For example, the
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poem says, “Like large dark lazy butterflies they sweep over the glades looking for death, to eat it, to make it vanish, to make of it the miracle: resurrection (155).” This section is somewhat straight-forward, save the last part, as it refers directly to how vultures search for their food, or death. The last line changes the narrative slightly, however, by throwing in the word “resurrection.” Resurrection was more than likely a reference to how the death of other creatures provides life for the scavengers, such as vultures. The reason why this changes the narrative is because in the first part of that passage it only refers to vultures as scouring the land for death and to make it vanish. Then it shows this process as positive by using the word “resurrection” to signify the rebirth of death in providing life for the vulture. This narrative is pushed further in the last few lines of the poem where it states “however ultimately sweet the huddle of death to fuel those powerful wings (156).” This line is very literal in its meaning, as it says death fuels the vulture, or keeps it alive. The sudden shift in the connotation of death from negative to positive is a common occurrence throughout Mary Oliver’s poetry about death. Another interesting thing to note about the first quote is the use of a simile to compare vultures to “large dark lazy butterflies.” Butterflies are seen as gentle and harmless creatures, which is why the use of it in a poem about death is quite ironic. While vultures and butterflies do admittedly fly in similar fashion, their perceptions differ greatly in terms of butterflies having a positive notion and vultures having a negative notion. Also worth noting is the metaphor in the line which Oliver says “Locked into the blaze of our own bodies we watch them wheeling and drifting (155).” The “blaze” of one's body is more than likely referencing one’s soul or spirit, and this specific reference to a blaze is shown in other poems by Mary Oliver. “The Black Snake” is a poem that is very similar to “Vultures” in multiple ways. Both of these poems use animal imagery to convey a message, and also reference death as a positive thing toward the end of the poem. First, this poem uses multiple intriguing similes in a row to describe the snake in the line that reads “Now he lies looped and useless as an old bicycle tire...He is as cool as a braided whip, he is as beautiful and quiet as a dead brother (184).” For the first simile, it mainly refers to the snake's appearance after it has died, which is not of much intrigue. The second one is a little more obscure, since it could either refer to the literal temperature of the snake or the snakes looks and the author's perception of its “coolness.” While it is more likely that its main purpose is to refer to the temperature, it serves its purpose in describing how the snake looks as well, as a black snake can look quite similar to a braided whip. Finally, the last one is kind of dark, as it references what must be the person in the poems dead relative. This sudden change in narrative is noteworthy, as it serves as a precursor to what is talked about later in the poem. Moving on to the latter of the poem, it follows a comparable path as seen in “Vultures,” when it states: Yet under reason burns a brighter fire, which the bones have always preferred. It is the story of endless good fortune. It says to oblivion: not me! It is the light at the center of every cell. It is what sent the snake coiling and flowing forward happily all spring through the green leaves before he came to the road (184). To begin, the idea of death starting as a negative notion and turning into a positive notion is seen here, as it did in “Vultures.” In the beginning of the poem, it shares the depressing scene of the death of the snake and the person's reaction to running it over. Then, the idea of death shifts toward a more positive connotation by basically saying to not live in fear of death, even though it can come at any moment. Another idea similar in each of the poems is the metaphor of a soul as a fire. In the first line of the block quotation and later in the same quotation, it tells of a “fire” and a “light” in this snake that kept it moving forward. This metaphor of a soul being a fire seems to be what counters death in Oliver’s poems, or rather what turns death into a positive thing. Still, as is seen in “Vultures,” Oliver’s ability to flip death to teach a positive life lesson is shown in each of these two poems. “When Death Comes” is a great summary poem of what Mary Oliver’s overall perception on death is.
This is the poem that seems to wrap up her feelings toward death and almost creates an umbrella over all of her previous poems about the idea. To start, the pattern of showing death as a negative notion and then flipping the script is still shown in this poem. This can be seen in the first lines of the poems which say “When death comes like the hungry bear in autumn; when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse to buy me, and snaps the purse shut; when death comes like the measle-pox; when death comes like an iceberg between the shoulder blades (10).” What can be seen here include darker similes and the personification of death which are used to show death as negative, as seen in the previous poems. With similes including comparisons to hungry bears and measle-pox, it is easy to see Oliver chose these describers to show death as evil or scary. The personification of death is interesting here as well, as it makes it seem like a slave owner, buying someone for the rest of eternity after one's demise, which is incredibly depressing if read with that in mind. All in all, the poem starts out with death being shown as a bad thing. However, throughout the rest of the poem, the narrative changes to show death as a inspiror to achieve in life. This is shown when it states “When it’s over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms (10).” For starters, once again the change of death from negative to positive can be seen from the first part of the poem to the second part of the poem. It is safe to say that this theme is present throughout her poems about death. Besides that, the last section of the poem uses a similar message that “The Black Snake used, which is to not fear death. In “The Black Snake,” however, it simply stated to not fear death because no one knows when death will arrive
and takes its coins out of his purse to buy you. In “When Death Comes,” the idea is still to not fear death, but because it should inspire one to achieve so when they look back on their life, they can be content with what has happened with themselves. This is the view on death that Mary Oliver wanted the audience to get out of her poems, because her death poems that were mentioned previously use this idea to full effect. In “Vultures” the vulture is looking to achieve from death by keeping itself alive with death, by scavenging dead animals. In “The Black Snake,” the human that ran over the snake learned to achieve from the snake's death by not worrying about her own demise, as it is out of her control. Overall, this poem summarizes well what Mary Oliver wanted her audience to perceive death as. Death as a theme in Mary Oliver's poetry is shown as a positive thing and something that should not scare anyone, from humans to vultures to snakes. As each poem list previously illustrates perfectly, Mary Oliver’s perception of death inspires her and she wants this same inspiration she gets from this certainty in life to be spread to her readers. Throughout her years of writing, Oliver maintained a consistent writing style that is prevalent in her poetry about death and the overarching theme of death connects to each of those poems beautifully and purposefully.
Mary Oliver was a famous poet and nature-lover, she used nature as center of her poetries. She was observant and thoughtful, which endowed her poetry a unique charm and depth. In her poem “The Black Snake” also manifests everything in the natural world is equal. This poem narrated that the speaker found a black snake was killed by a truck and thus to start thinking death and life. Meanwhile, Mary’s poetic language also has strong power. This poetry is a simplicity and short but she used many elements of poetry to make this poetry more profound and meaningful, and the symbolism and figures of speech are the two main element in “The Black Snake”. Figures of speech brings value
Death is pictured at the beginning of the poem as a pretty women. Suddenly the picture changes and the narrator explains seeing death coming for him from out far, moving like the wind and cutting down the flowers in her path. Somehow the picture of the grim reaper appears, death is clearly the main topic
Even though it is a short 16 lines long, Emily Dickenson’s poem “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died—” is full of death and darkness as well as light and life. Throughout the poem, seeing and sight are major topics which serve as a sense of irony for the narrator who is dying. Dickenson is able to describe death in a very vivid and colorful way that makes readers feel as if they are at the bedside of the dying narrator. She is excellent in her use of hidden meanings and references for such a short poem— this is the mark of an exceptional poet .
In Mary Oliver’s poem “The Black Snake,” the narrator contemplates the cycle of life with the unpredictability of death. Mary Oliver’s work is “known for its natural themes and a continual affirmation of nature as a place of mystery and spirituality that holds the power to teach humans how to value one’s life and one’s place” (Riley). In the poem, The Black Snake, the narrator witnesses a black snake hit by a truck and killed on a road one morning. Feeling sympathy for the snake, the narrator stops, and removes the dead snake from the road. Noting the snake’s beauty, the narrator carries it from the road to some nearby bushes. Continuing to drive, the narrator reflects on how the abruptness of death ultimately revealed how the snake lived his life.
The conceit in line 8, “like an iceberg between the shoulder blades” (line 8), illustrates the briskness death emanates whilst taking the life from the warmth of your body. This ice and fire comparison coaxes the reader to pursue the unwelcoming thought of death as the adverse path to travel by. By no means does Oliver attempt to romanticize the idea of a brief and painless endeavor. Furthermore, the recurrence of cessation illustrated by the “hungry bear in autumn” (2) simile suggests the seasonal regularity death’s toll takes on the living. The presence of frequency characterizes the shift in forbearance to the acceptance of the inevitable. Oliver is caught up in reminiscent thought as she employs worldly imagery to describe life. For example, in lines 15-16 Oliver writes “and I think of each life as a flower, as common / as a field daisy.” This line stands out in the fact that it represents the first occurrence of communal thought. Describing each life as a “flower” in a “field” suggests that life is supposed to be about the people whom you surround yourself with, and less about the solidarity that stems from the notion of darkness. Oliver’s implication of poetry and down-to-earth imagery captures not only the progression of thought, but also her feelings towards the concepts of life and
In literature, themes shape and characterize an author’s writing making each work unique as different points of view are expressed within a writing’s words and sentences. This is the case, for example, of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee” and Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I could not stop for Death.” Both poems focus on the same theme of death, but while Poe’s poem reflects that death is an atrocious event because of the suffering and struggle that it provokes, Dickinson’s poem reflects that death is humane and that it should not be feared as it is inevitable. The two poems have both similarities and differences, and the themes and characteristics of each poem can be explained by the author’s influences and lives. “Although Emily Dickinson is known as one of America’s best and most beloved poets, her extraordinary talent was not recognized until after her death” (Kort 1).
A prominent theme throughout Mary Oliver's poems is the appreciation of the natural world and all of its little details. Oliver is renowned for her ability to immerse the reader in the natural world through powerful language and imagery, allowing them to truly appreciate the beauty of nature. Her close observation of nature illustrates her intimate relationship with nature and is exemplified in one her most famous poems "The Summer Day," in which she questions the origins of nature. In this poem, Oliver conveys her love of nature through the speaker, who is not only a passive observer and admirer of nature, but also an active thinker and component of nature. By choosing nature as the poem's center of attention, Oliver is able to depict nature as a beautiful and mystical place, evoking the reader's awe and fascination. This poem is so beautiful because the speaker describes to the reader the lovely little idiosyncrasies that she notices within nature, illustrating how nature is infinitely complex and that even little insects are worthy of appreciation.
There is probably no one, among people, who has not considered death as a subject to think about or the events, people, and spirits that they would face after death. Also, since we were little kids, we were asking our parents what death is and what is going to happen after we die. People have always linked death with fear, darkness, depression, and other negative feelings, but not with Emily Dickinson, a reclusive poet from Massachusetts who was obsessed with death and dying in her tons of writings. She writes “Because I could not stop for Death” and in this particular poem she delivers a really different idea of death and the life after death. In the purpose of doing that, the speaker encounters death, which was personalized to be in the form of a gentleman suitor who comes to pick her up with his horse-drawn carriage for a unique death date that will last forever.
I will discuss the similarities by which these poems explore themes of death and violence through the language, structure and imagery used. In some of the poems I will explore the characters’ motivation for targeting their anger and need to kill towards individuals they know personally whereas others take out their frustration on innocent strangers. On the other hand, the remaining poems I will consider view death in a completely different way by exploring the raw emotions that come with losing a loved one.
Predominantly the poem offers a sense of comfort and wisdom, against the fear and pain associated with death. Bryant shows readers not to agonize over dying, in fact, he writes, "When thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a blight over thy spirit, and sad images of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall, and breathless darkness, and the narrow house, make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart -- go forth under the open sky, and list to Nature 's teachings." With this it eludes each person face their own death, without fright, to feel isolated and alone in death but to find peace in knowing that every person before had died and all those after will join in death (Krupat and Levine
Death is a controversial and sensitive subject. When discussing death, several questions come to mind about what happens in our afterlife, such as: where do you go and what do you see? Emily Dickinson is a poet who explores her curiosity of death and the afterlife through her creative writing ability. She displays different views on death by writing two contrasting poems: one of a softer side and another of a more ridged and scary side. When looking at dissimilar observations of death it can be seen how private and special it is; it is also understood that death is inevitable so coping with it can be taken in different ways. Emily Dickinson’s poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and “I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died” show both parallel and opposing views on death.
Many people find it hard to imagine their death as there are so many questions to be answered-how will it happen, when, where and what comes next. The fact that our last days on Earth is unknown makes the topic of death a popular one for most poets who looks to seek out their own emotions. By them doing that it helps the reader make sense of their own emotions as well. In the two poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickenson and “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas, the poets are both capturing their emotion about death and the way that they accepted it. In Dickenson’s poem her feelings towards death are more passionate whereas in Dylan’s poem the feelings
From the beginning he starts his poem on an uplifting note, he talks about celebrating himself and others. He is very joyous when he talks about people and life. He doesn’t care to discriminate because he believes everything that is living and was once living is equal because they all come from the same place, the soil. Unlike the majority of people, when it comes to dying, he thinks on a positive note rather than thinking depressingly. This is shown when he writes “and now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves.”
The first quatrain of the poem begins undermining the idea of death by personifying it. Death is personified by Donne throughout the poem as he challenges death by stating that it is not the “mighty and dreadful” aspect of life that people are afraid of, but as an escape from life where people can find peace after death because “nor yet canst thou kill me” (Donne 1100). He argues that death does not really kill those whom it thinks it kills to further beat death into humility. In the opening line of the poem he uses an apostrophe, “Death, be not proud..” to begin with a dramatic tone to argue with death as people’s adversary (Donne 1100). Death is given negative human traits, such as pride, but also inferiority and pretense.
Throughout Emily Dickinson’s poetry there is a reoccurring theme of death and immortality. The theme of death is further separated into two major categories including the curiosity Dickinson held of the process of dying and the feelings accompanied with it and the reaction to the death of a loved one. Two of Dickinson’s many poems that contain a theme of death include: “Because I Could Not Stop For Death,” and “After great pain, a formal feeling comes.”