Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Lilies" by Mary Oliver is a contemplative poem that engages with existential themes, drawing contrasts between the world of nature and human life. Oliver introduces us to a narrator who has been pondering the idea of living "like the lilies / that blow in the fields." Lilies here stand as symbols of simplicity, unaffected existence, and perhaps, freedom from the many complexities that plague human lives.

The poem establishes an image of lilies that "rise and fall / in the edge of the wind," only to be consumed by grazing cattle, without protest or a struggle for survival. They "have no shelter / from the tongues of the cattle," "have no closets or cupboards," and "have no legs." This depiction of the lilies resonates with the ascetic ideal of renunciation of material needs and worldly attachments. The lilies appear to be wonderful manifestations of a humble, simple existence.

However, Oliver complicates this seemingly idyllic existence by introducing the perspective of a lily waiting "all day / for the green face / of the hummingbird to touch me." Here, the lily appears to have desires, waiting for the touch of a hummingbird-a momentary interaction that may never come. This paints the lilies in a more human light, showing them to possess wants or needs, suggesting that even the natural world isn't free from the complexities of existence.

The narrator's query, "could I forget myself / even in those feathery fields?" reveals a deep-seated skepticism about the possibility of leading a life entirely devoid of self-consciousness or personal struggles. The narrator brings in the example of Van Gogh, who, despite his deep interactions with the natural world, could not save himself from his own complexities. The fields only gave him "more ideas / it would take his life to solve." This could be seen as a commentary on human nature, where even the simplest forms of beauty can lead to complicated existential questions.

The poem ends on a sobering note, with the narrator accepting a form of existential loneliness. Even in a world where "the cattle / graze like a black and white river" and where "the vanishing lilies / melt, without protest, on their tongues," there is a form of solitude that is hard to overcome. The hummingbird, representing transient moments of beauty or insight, "just rises and floats away" whenever there's a "fuss," leaving the narrator-and by extension, perhaps, all of us-to grapple with the complexities of existence.

In "Lilies," Oliver crafts an intricate balance between the beauty and simplicity of nature and the complexities and struggles inherent in human life. She suggests that while nature can offer moments of respite and inspiration, it also reflects the limitations and complexities that make us quintessentially human. Thus, the poem stands as a delicate exploration of existential solitude, the allure and limitations of natural simplicity, and the intricate complexities that make up the human condition.

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