Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

Mary Oliver’s poem "Ghosts" is a contemplative exploration of memory, history, and the remnants of a past deeply intertwined with the natural world. The poem, structured in seven sections, weaves together vivid imagery, historical references, and reflections on loss and continuity, inviting readers to consider the enduring presence of the past within the present.

The first section opens with a simple yet profound question: "Have you noticed?" This question serves as a call to attention, urging readers to observe the often-overlooked details and traces left by history.

In the second section, Oliver describes the landscape where "so many millions of powerful bawling beasts / lay down on the earth and died." The distinction between bone and what once was bone blurs, symbolizing the indistinguishable melding of past life with the earth. The golden eagle, a symbol of majesty and freedom, carries "a bit of heaviness," perhaps a weight of history. The "huge barns" that seem ready to "ramble off / toward deeper grass" evoke a sense of abandonment and the passage of time.

The third section transports us to 1805 near the Bitterroot Mountains, where Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition kneels to observe a sparrow’s nest lined with buffalo hair. The image of chicks, newly hatched and content in their nest, contrasts with their vulnerability in the vast and perilous prairie. This scene reflects the tension between the security of the past and the challenges of the present.

In the fourth section, Oliver draws from indigenous wisdom, stating, "In the book of the earth it is written: / nothing can die." This echoes the belief in the cyclical nature of life and death. The Sioux belief that the departed have gone into the earth to hide, only to be coaxed out by dancing, emphasizes the spiritual connection between the living and the dead.

The fifth section recalls the mass slaughter of buffalo, highlighting the waste and disrespect shown by "Passengers shooting from train windows." The grotesque aftermath, with carcasses left to rot, serves as a haunting reminder of human cruelty and the desecration of the natural world.

The sixth section revisits the opening question, "Have you noticed?" Oliver compares the softness of rain to the fall of moccasins, symbolizing a gentle, almost reverent return to the land. The "immense circles" in the grass, remnants of the buffalo herds' rich droppings, stubbornly persist a century later. These circles mark the enduring impact of the once vast buffalo herds, which stood resilient against natural predators like wolves, who are now also gone.

In the final section, Oliver recounts a dream where she witnesses a cow giving birth to a red calf. This intimate and tender moment in the "wild domains / of the prairie spring" symbolizes renewal and the continuity of life. The poet's plea, "in my dream I knelt down and asked them / to make room for me," signifies a deep longing for inclusion and connection with the natural world and its cycles.

Throughout "Ghosts," Oliver's language is both precise and evocative, blending historical references with personal reflection. The poem's structure, with its segmented yet interconnected parts, mirrors the fragmented yet continuous nature of memory and history.

In "Ghosts," Mary Oliver invites readers to engage with the past's lingering presence in the natural world, to notice and honor the traces of what once was. The poem is a meditation on loss, resilience, and the enduring spirit of the land and its creatures. Through her vivid imagery and contemplative tone, Oliver encourages a deeper awareness and appreciation of the interconnectedness of life, death, and the natural world’s enduring legacy.

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