Throughout her poem, Crossing the Swamp, Mary Oliver explains the empowering journey she is taking from being a” poor dry stick” to becoming a “breathing palace of leaves,” in her personal swamp. The author uses devices such as tone to compare her to being a dry stick and the swamp being a safe haven continuously throughout the piece.
Immediately starting off, Mary opens her poem by stating the simple word “Here.” this word is powerful in itself saying that she is there. She is in her own swamp, facing her redemption. To add even more emphasis she repeats herself in line eight, “Here is swamp.” She is right there ready to take that first step. Also, the title of the poem describes that she is on that journey, “crossing the swamp.” …show more content…
The reappearance of the “b” in the line, “.. of dense sap, branching vines, the dark burred faintly belching bogs,” and also the sibilance in the line, “pathless, seamless, peerless….” are both examples of alliteration. In a way, she could be using this style to be imitating the way a swamp sounds and feels. The hissing of the wind and the bubbling of muddy water can all be felt in her text as she describes the need for her savior swamp.
Lastly, she continues to use her tone to make the reader feel as if she is scared and uncertain for the journey ahead. She writes, “My bones knock together at the pale joints, trying…” She needs renewal but she is afraid and feels she is too weak. However, she shifts her attitude when she writes in line twenty two, “I feel not wet so much as painted and glittered with fat grassy….” Here she lets the reader know that she is taking that step and that she is not afraid anymore. She has almost changed her point of view and because of that she is becoming happier and healthier. Mary oliver opens the reader's eyes to an inevitable journey so many humans face. She revealed that even at the lowest points “pathless, seamless, peerless mud,” can make even the dryest stick into something so beautiful and full of life. What could possibly hold back the willingness to cross such a pure and rejuvenating