Natural Symbolism in Mary Oliver Poetry

In her exceptionally expressive work, Mary Oliver exhibits a profound appreciation and intricate understanding of nature, highlighting its dual characteristics of beauty and fear. Through her use of vivid imagery, parallelism, and contrasting elements, Oliver presents the natural world as a complex and dynamic entity that evokes a spectrum of emotions, ranging from awe to terror. This essay explores how Oliver skillfully navigates the paradoxical qualities of nature, using the symbolism of the owl and flowers to reveal her multifaceted emotional responses.

By examining these themes, we gain insight into Oliver’s perception of nature as both a source of immobilizing joy and a bearer of existential fear.

Contrasting Imagery: The Owl and the Flowers

Mary Oliver's attention to contrasting imagery is evident in her depiction of the formidable great horned owl and the delicate beauty of the flowers. The owl, with its "razor-tipped toes" and "hooked nose," embodies the frightening aspects of nature. Its physical attributes are described with a sense of foreboding and menace, as it is associated with the "night" and "darkness." The sound of its "hoarse snapping" further reinforces its terrifying presence. In stark contrast, the flowers are depicted as soothing and gentle, likened to "red and pink and white tents." This vivid color imagery establishes a clear dichotomy between the owl and the flowers, underscoring the dichotomy between fear and beauty in nature.

Oliver's ability to present nature's contrasting facets extends beyond mere description. She delves into the psychological impact these elements have on her, portraying the owl as a creature that could make her "fall" if it "should touch her." Despite its frightening nature, the great horned owl captivates Oliver to the extent that it could become the "focal point of her life." This paradox reveals Oliver's fascination with the owl’s majesty even as she acknowledges its capacity for violence. Similarly, the flowers evoke "immobilizing joy," overwhelming her senses with their "sweetness" and abundance. Through this juxtaposition, Oliver illustrates how nature encompasses extremes that coexist in a delicate balance.

Emotional Complexity through Parallelism

The emotional complexity of Oliver’s response to nature is further emphasized through her use of parallelism, highlighting the depth of her experiences. In describing the flowers, Oliver employs repetitive phrasing that begins with "I am," followed by action verbs, to convey how the fields envelop her like a "river." She becomes "loaded, recumbent, completed, and filled" with an "immobilizing joy." This succession of adjectives amplifies the overwhelming and dreamlike sensation she experiences, creating a vivid picture of her emotional immersion in the natural world.

Parallelism is also employed in the depiction of the great horned owl, whose relentless predatory nature is captured through phrases such as "even skunks, and even cats…thinking tranquil thoughts." This repetition underscores the owl’s insatiable hunger, as it is "forever hungry and endlessly on the hunt." The owl’s voraciousness is so profound that if given the chance, it would "eat the whole world." Oliver’s use of parallelism effectively conveys the fear that such an unyielding creature instills, illustrating how this fear becomes a "naturally and richly part of life," even infiltrating her "most quieted, thoughtful sunny life."

Universal Themes: Awe and Fear in Nature

Despite the apparent contrasts between the owl and the field of flowers, Oliver identifies a universal theme that unites these elements of nature. Both the owl and the flowers are described as "overwhelming, vast and excessive," illustrating their capacity to evoke strong emotions. The owl's dominance is such that "if it could, it would eat the whole world," while the fields "multiply in complexity," creating an "irreversible force." Oliver’s rhetorical questions, "And is this not also terrible?" and "Is this not also frightening?" highlight the excessiveness inherent in both the owl and the fields. Despite her fear, Oliver remains captivated by the awe-inspiring nature of both.

Oliver’s nuanced portrayal of nature acknowledges that while the owl is described as terrifying, it is also "wonderful" and "swift." Similarly, the fields of flowers, though overwhelming, evoke a sense of "dreaming and indolence." This blending of opposites—the owl and the field of flowers—demonstrates how nature can simultaneously be cruel and sweet. Through this complexity, Oliver suggests that nature demands a multifaceted response, one that encompasses fear, joy, and wonder. Her emotional and sensory reactions reveal a profound connection to nature, underscoring its role as a source of both existential dread and ecstasy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Mary Oliver’s essay masterfully captures the duality of nature, exploring its capacity to evoke both fear and joy through the contrasting imagery of the owl and flowers. By employing vivid symbolism, parallelism, and contrasting elements, Oliver reveals the complexity of her emotional responses to nature's paradoxical beauty and terror. Her work invites readers to embrace this complexity, recognizing that nature's extremes coexist in a delicate balance. Oliver’s nuanced portrayal encourages us to appreciate the multifaceted nature of the world around us, acknowledging its potential to inspire both dread and delight. Through her insightful exploration, Oliver reminds us of the profound and intricate connection between humanity and the natural world.

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