Mary Oliver Poem #1: "I Go Down to the Shore"

Mary Oliver’s insightful poem “I Go Down to the Shore” is a brief yet powerful piece contemplating one’s connection to the natural world. In the poem, Mary Oliver describes going down to the shore every morning like clockwork to watch the waves roll in and out. Upon reading this, I immediately connected with the idea of nature being a sense of solace or renewal. For me, whether I am having a bad day or just need a break from everything around me, I will take a long walk outside to clear my head. Back home in St. Louis, I have a specific path through my neighborhood that I would take whenever I needed some air. Now, I could probably do it with my eyes closed. My favorite stop on the walk would be admiring the colossal white oak tree (quercus alba) down the street. To this day, it is the biggest tree I have ever seen, and it has the deepest history (living for over 100 years). It will never fail to amaze me how a tree of that size, towering over everyone and everything, continuous to survive and remain a healthy and sturdy force.

Just like my path, the familiarity and routine of walking to the shore is calming and comforting for Mary Oliver. Just like how I would come to my neighborhood tree for support, Mary Oliver would contemplate her own emotional state with the ocean, just as she would with a human. She seeks guidance from the natural world when asking it:

    “what shall—what should I do?” (45)

She then personifies the sea by giving it a “lovely” and soothing voice, suggesting that nature can offer meaningful insights to human concerns even if it is not articulated with words. The poem concludes with the ocean expressing that it too has “work to do”, further signifying the constancy and beauty of the natural world, regardless of how humans are acting or feeling. No matter what, life goes on, and there is value found in the rhythms of nature. Nature offers guidance to those who seek it. 

Although I am no longer in St. Louis and don’t have access to my favorite tree, I make it a mission wherever I am residing--whether it be Spain, Denver, Fort Worth, or anywhere in between--to find and connect with a piece of nature or specific place. While living in Denver for a short period of time, I felt displaced from home and my life at TCU but would stop and look at the same flowerbed outside of my office every day and instantly feel comforted. There can be endless wisdom found in the natural world, and nature can bring a sense of peace and renewal in times of inner turmoil or uncertainty.