Rosalie Weiss- Week 9- “Praying” by Mary Oliver

 


I find nature to be a common theme in Oliver’s work. In each of her poems, she encourages readers to appreciate, enjoy, and be present in the world around them. This can be seen in her poem “Praying,” where I believe Oliver teaches the reader how to construct a prayer through the authentic appreciation of their surroundings. 

Oliver opens the poem by telling the reader that “it doesn't have to be the blue iris, it could be the weeds in a vacant lot.” (lines 1-3) I interpret this to mean that anything can be the subject of prayer, with the iris representing things that are typically seen as beautiful and the weeds representing things that are typically overlooked. I also find it to mean that all forms of nature are beautiful and deserving of appreciation. She then tells the reader to focus and find some words to describe their thoughts. Oliver writes that these words don't have to be elaborate, explaining that it “isn’t a contest but the doorway into thanks, and a silence in which another voice may speak.” (lines 7-10) I believe Oliver is describing the importance of authenticity in prayer and how trying to make them fancy can take away from their meaning. I believe that the voice described by Oliver is the voice of the soul, which can be expressed in the form of a true and personal prayer. 

This process of constructing a prayer described in the poem can also describe the process of writing a poem, supporting the idea that poetry is a form of prayer. I think this is a very interesting idea that can be seen throughout Oliver’s work.

What do you think? Do you see poetry as a form of prayer?

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