HW: Mary Oliver

How would you describe the speaker's attitude toward nature? In other words, what is nature to the speaker? In Mary Oliver’s poem “Truro, the Blueberry Fields” she writes about nature as if it is an escape. She describes the sparrows song as simple and seems to envious as she writes “oh, to hear him within the enclosure of nothing else!” while she describes her own life with words like “desperate, quickly, commotion” (24) In the poem “North Country”, Mary Oliver writes about nature as a celebration. She compliments the seasons and the different elements they provide to the soul.

Could you make the argument that this is "female writing"? What makes the poems an expression of female writing? Female writing contrasts from male writing in a few ways. Female writing is different from male writing in the way that it includes more delicate descriptions, comparisons and compliments. Where as a male tone might assert more direct observations. Mary Oliver’s writing can be classified as “female writing” and this can be exemplified in her poem “North Country” where she uses description that appeal to delicate senses such as “smoothly, shiver nicely, gorgeous, dappled” (3).

What does poetry express that prose writing, especially nonfiction essays, do not express? What, in turn, do these nature poems not express? Prose writing and essays seems to require an explanation. Poetry takes advantage of a format that allows observations and claims to stated as they are perceived, requiring no further justification. In turn, poems may not always express specific notions and might sometimes lack clarity. However, a lack of clarity can be well-regarded by the audience as it leaves the content of the poem open to interpretation. This interpretation left up to the audience is convey in Oliver’s poem “Many Miles” because she addresses the poems ambiguity with ‘To each of us comes the body gift” which will mean something unique to each reader and which is meant to apply to each group mentioned in the poem differently.