“To Live in this World”:

An Eco-feminist Study of the Poetry of Mary Oliver

Abstract

Maxine Kumin wrote in the “Women’s Review of Books,” that Mary Oliver is an “indefatigable guide to the natural world.” Her verses produce a relieving effect and concentrate on the calm aspects of nature, assiduous Hummingbirds, hunting owls. The present study is an exploration of the relationship between the humankind and the world of nature in the poems of Mary Oliver from an eco-feminist point of view. Ecological feminism or eco-feminism is a term first coined by the French writer Froncoised’ Eaubonne in her book Le Feminismeou la Mort(1974) to denote women’s inherent ability for bringing an ecological revolution to ascertain the survival of human being on earth. It started its journey as a movement in the twentieth century against environmental destruction, suppression and oppression of women. From the origin of the earth, man tries to desert the fertile earth and turns her into a barren land. To free women and nature from the clutches of male dominated society, many nineteenth century women wrote about the local landscape that is often an integral part of their daily life. The close examination of the bountiful objects of nature, plants and animals have established them as a liberating force. Mary Oliver took multifarious forms of nature to expose her clear and poignant observations regarding environment. She also sees earth as an upholder of human life and relationships. Nature and humanity is strongly emphasized through her poems to show a deep alliance between them. The reason I choose the poems of Mary Oliver is because they encourage us to think passionately about the kinship of humans with nature and the immense idea a person can gain in understanding one’s life in a meaningful way.