Mary Oliver Red Bird Essay

The book Red Bird has a series of poems written by Mary Oliver. Oliver gives her perspective of the world and the gifts the world gives us. Oliver captures moments from the transformation of a caterpillar to some dark bittersweet moments. Oliver writes from the hear. The references and scenes Oliver tries to create ,she illustrates true Eco-Criticism. Oliver’s illustration of Eco-criticism relates to themes of love, sorrow, empowerment, and laughter, which makes one reflect in a certain way. As a result of how Oliver captured her works, she makes one look at the world at a different perspective. Eco-criticism is the the genuine relationship that humans have with the environment. Eco-criticism is illustrated all through out in the poetry …show more content…
Mary Oliver incorporates these themes very strongly because writes about gifts the world gives , despite what occurs. Using Eco-criticism through out the poems, Oliver automatically applies the idea of “transcendence and union with nature” that humans have. She starts embracing her journey in life in the first poem titled “Red Bird”. Oliver starts to embrace the world, when she says in “Red Bird” that she is “grateful\ that red bird comes all winter \firing up the landscape\ as nothing else can do” (1). Oliver is like the red bird which is “returning to the land of the living”. “Returning to the land of the living” is a expression which signifies a return after a long period of absence. Oliver was in a dark place in her life. It seems as if she is the red bird and ready to conquer her journey in life, despite the hurdles she faced. Oliver automatically illustrates her “transcendence and union with nature” because she symbolizes herself as the red bird who is ready to see, take on, and embrace the world on what is has to offer. Oliver is the red bird, who is ready to start her journey. She is the red bird returning from the living. As Oliver, is returning from the living, and starting a fresh life, she will start to determine what her priorities and what to embrace in nature as a whole. Oliver’s journey through life is a grieving journey, but she continues to find and understand the …show more content…
In “From this River, When I was a Child I Used to Drink” she starts to have her doubts with her “transcendence and union with nature”. Oliver illustrates in “From this River, When I was a Child I Used to Drink” that when she “came back [she] found \that the body of the river was dying”(44) . She felt that the she was going to lose the river as a friend, because the river was starting to dry out. The river was there for her through her roughest times. Despite, being lonely, and having no one to talk to Oliver had the flow of the river to be her companion. Nature is a friend to her. She is a friend to nature no matter what. Through out her life she has went through ups and downs. But nature is something she always had union with. Oliver says again at the end of the poem “From this River, When I was a Child I Used to Drink” that the river “can be be a friend .A companion.A\hint of heaven”(44). Even though, Oliver was first skeptical about her friendship. She comes to realization that the river is a true friend. The river will be a friend forever. The river is something that she could go to show her tears, laugh, and not be judged. Oliver now knows she has “transcendence and union with nature”, by the beautifully flowing river being a place of no judgment. It is a thing where she can go grieve,reflect on life,, and laugh. She can be herself. Oliver can be