I try to be good but sometimes a person just has to break out and act like the wild and springy thing one used to be. It's impossible not to remember wild an want it back.
Mary OliverRead
All night my heart makes its way however it can over the rough ground of uncertainties, but only until night meets and then is overwhelmed by morning, the light deepening, the wind easing and just waiting, as I too wait (and when have I ever been disappointed?) for redbird to sing
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the journey through uncertainty towards hope and renewal with the arrival of morning.
In this quote, Mary Oliver illustrates the struggle of the heart as it navigates through the uncertainties of life during the night, symbolizing difficulties and unanswered questions. However, the arrival of morning represents hope and clarity, suggesting that patience and waiting can lead to beautiful moments, much like the anticipated song of a redbird. This encapsulates a journey of resilience and a belief in the power of nature to restore and uplift the spirit.
Themes
UncertaintyHopeNatureWaitingRenewal
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about perseverance, one could share this quote to emphasize the importance of patience in facing challenges.
More from Mary Oliver
All quotes →At the time I was growing up, literature was involved with the so-called confessional poets. And I was not interested in that. I did not think that specific and personal perspective functioned well for the reader at all.
Mary OliverRead
I know the sag of the unfinished poem. And I know the release of the poem that is finished.
Mary OliverRead
For poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry.
Mary OliverRead
If I have any lasting worth, it will be because I have tried to make people remember what the Earth is meant to look like.
Mary OliverRead
Every day I see or hear something that more or less kills me with delight, that leaves me like a needle in the haystack of light.
Mary OliverRead
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