Ecology and Lit, VAC

‭MARY OLIVER‬
‭Sleeping In The Forest‬

‭About The Poet‬
‭Writer of the poem “ Sleeping in the forest”, Mary Jane Oliver was an‬
‭American poet whose work displays great affinity toward nature. She was‬
‭inspired by nature and tranquility, and her long solitary walks. Needless to say the‬
‭human world was repulsive to her and therefore her poems were woven in a world‬
‭of wonder of nature and its powers. Her works show the influence of great writers‬
‭like Walt Whitman and Thoreau and often she has been compared to Emily‬
‭Dickinson. These writers show the same thirst for nature, solitudes and‬
‭monologue.‬
‭One of the most important qualities that we often come across in her works‬
‭like “Sleeping in the Forest” is the combination of a dark degree of introspection‬
‭along with a joyful release. This piece is almost as soothing as the idea of‬
‭spending a night on the cool mossy floor of a forest, with the stars serving as your‬
‭night light.‬
‭Poem‬
‭I thought the earth‬
‭remembered me, she‬
‭took me back so tenderly, arranging‬
‭her dark skirts, her pockets‬
‭full of lichens and seeds. I slept‬
‭as never before, a stone‬
‭on the riverbed, nothing‬

‭between me and the white fire of the stars‬
‭but my thoughts, and they floated‬
‭light as moths among the branches‬
‭of the perfect trees. All night‬
‭I heard the small kingdoms breathing‬
‭around me, the insects, and the birds‬
‭who do their work in the darkness. All night‬
‭I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling‬
‭with a luminous doom. By morning‬
‭I had vanished at least a dozen times‬
‭into something better.‬
‭Mood‬
‭The poem “Sleeping in the Forest” begins with a mood of tranquility and‬
‭serenity which helps the poet paint nature at its best. The dark background that‬
‭she uses to describe nature makes the mood and tone of the poem somber,‬
‭providing her with a luminous experience.‬
‭Summary and Interpretation‬

‭The poet’s speaker describes going out into the forest to spend the night in‬
‭the darkness. She depicts the sounds of the various small kingdoms and creatures‬
‭going about their nightly tasks. She sees sights and hears sounds that she‬
‭wouldn’t normally during the day. This experience is one that elevates her beyond‬
‭her everyday life and her humanity. She spends the night in luminous darkness‬
‭and loses herself several times.‬
‭"Sleeping in the Forest" can be interpreted as a meditation on the power and‬
‭beauty of nature, and the solace that it can provide. Oliver's poem suggests that the‬
‭natural world can be a place of rest and rejuvenation, and that it can provide a‬
‭sense of interconnectedness and unity that is difficult to find in modern life.‬
‭The use of imagery and metaphor in the poem helps to create a sense of‬
‭atmosphere and mood that reinforces the theme of tranquility. By describing the‬
‭forest in such vivid and evocative terms, Oliver creates a feeling of stillness and‬
‭calm that mirrors the peace that she experiences while laying there.‬
‭Overall, "Sleeping in the Forest" is a powerful meditation on the beauty of‬
‭nature and the peace that it can provide. Oliver's poem serves as a reminder of the‬
‭importance of taking time to connect with the natural world, and of the solace that‬
‭can be found in its embrace.‬
‭Analysis of the poem‬
‭“I thought the earth remembered me, she‬
‭took me back so tenderly, arranging‬
‭(…)‬
‭on the riverbed, nothing‬
‭between me and the white fire of the stars”‬
‭Nature as Mother‬
‭The first line of the poem sets the tone for the entire piece. "I thought the‬
‭earth remembered me," the poet says, suggesting that she has a personal‬
‭relationship with nature. She doesn't see nature as a mere backdrop or a resource‬
‭to be exploited, but as a conscious and caring entity that pays attention to her. The‬
‭use of the pronoun "she" reinforces this idea of nature as a nurturing and feminine‬
‭presence.‬
‭The second line deepens this connection by describing how the earth takes‬
‭the poet back "so tenderly." The word "tenderly" connotes love, affection, and‬
‭protection. It suggests that the poet feels safe and comforted in the embrace of‬
‭nature, as if she were returning to her mother's arms.‬
‭The image of the earth "arranging her dark skirts" reinforces this maternal‬
‭imagery. It conjures up an image of a woman pulling her dress down to cover her‬
‭child, protecting her from the cold or the rain. The use of the word "skirts" also‬
‭suggests a feminine form and a sense of movement, as if the earth were alive and‬
‭dancing.‬
‭Sleep as Surrender‬
‭The theme of surrender is central to the poem, and it is embodied in the act‬
‭of sleeping. The poet doesn't just lie down and close her eyes, she becomes "a stone‬
‭on the river bed." This image suggests a complete surrender to the forces of nature,‬
‭as if the poet were becoming one with the earth.‬
‭The image of the stone also suggests a sense of permanence and stability.‬
‭The poet is not just passing through the forest or taking a break from her life, she‬
‭is committing to a new way of being. She is no longer a restless wanderer or a‬
‭busy worker, she is a still and silent observer of the world.‬
‭The line "nothing between me and the white fire of the stars" reinforces this‬
‭sense of surrender. The poet is not just sleeping under the stars, she is merging‬
‭with them. The stars are not just distant pinpricks of light, they are a "white fire"‬
‭that consumes her thoughts and emotions.‬
‭“but my thoughts, and they floated‬
‭light as moths among the branches‬
‭of the perfect trees. All night‬
‭I heard the small kingdoms breathing‬
‭(…)‬
‭I had vanished at least a dozen times‬
‭into something better.”‬
‭Dreams as Liberation‬
‭The poet's dreams are a key element of the poem's imagery and symbolism.‬
‭She says her thoughts "floated light as moths among the branches of the perfect‬
‭trees." This image suggests a sense of freedom and playfulness, as if her mind‬
‭were exploring the forest like a child.‬
‭The word "perfect" is also significant here. It suggests a sense of wholeness‬
‭and completion, as if the forest were a complete and self-contained world. The‬
‭poet's dreams are not just random or chaotic, they are guided by the order and‬
‭beauty of nature.‬
‭The line "grappling with a luminous doom" is perhaps the most mysterious‬
‭and powerful in the poem. The word "luminous" suggests a bright and shining‬
‭force, while "doom" suggests a sense of fate or destiny. The poet is not just‬
‭dreaming idly, she is engaged in a struggle with a powerful and mysterious force.‬
‭This force could be interpreted as the poet's own inner demons, or as a‬
‭manifestation of the forces of nature.‬
‭Transformation through Vanishing‬

‭The final lines of the poem are perhaps the most enigmatic and open to‬
‭interpretation. The poet says "By morning I had vanished at least a dozen times /‬
‭into something better." This image suggests a sense of transformation and‬
‭transcendence, as if the poet were shedding her old self and becoming something‬
‭new.‬
‭The word "vanished" suggests a sense of disappearance, as if the poet were‬
‭becoming invisible or intangible. However, the word "better" suggests a sense of‬
‭improvement or growth. The poet is not just disappearing, she is becoming‬
‭something better.‬
‭The use of the phrase "at least a dozen times" suggests a sense of repetition‬
‭and multiplicity. The poet is not just transforming once, she is transforming again‬
‭and again. This suggests a sense of ongoing change and evolution, as if the poet‬
‭were constantly renewing herself through her connection with nature.‬
‭_________________________________________________‬

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‭MARY OLIVER‬

‭Sleeping In The Forest‬

‭I thought the earth‬

‭remembered me, she‬

‭took me back so tenderly, arranging‬

‭her dark skirts, her pockets‬

‭full of lichens and seeds. I slept‬

‭as never before, a stone‬

‭on the riverbed, nothing‬

‭but my thoughts, and they floated‬

‭light as moths among the branches‬

‭of the perfect trees. All night‬

‭I heard the small kingdoms breathing‬

‭around me, the insects, and the birds‬

‭who do their work in the darkness. All night‬

‭I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling‬

‭with a luminous doom. By morning‬

‭I had vanished at least a dozen times‬

‭into something better.‬

‭Summary and Interpretation‬

‭Analysis of the poem‬

‭“I thought the earth remembered me, she‬

‭took me back so tenderly, arranging‬

‭on the riverbed, nothing‬

‭between me and the white fire of the stars”‬

‭“but my thoughts, and they floated‬

‭light as moths among the branches‬

‭of the perfect trees. All night‬

‭I heard the small kingdoms breathing‬

‭into something better.”‬

‭Transformation through Vanishing‬

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