I try to be good but sometimes a person just has to break out and act like the wild and springy thing one used to be. It's impossible not to remember wild an want it back.
Mary OliverRead
What can we do but keep on breathing in and out, modest and willing, and in our places?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of resilience and humility in the face of life's challenges.
In this quote, Mary Oliver reflects on the simplicity and necessity of perseverance amidst difficulties. By stating that all we can do is breathe and remain modest, she suggests that even in hard times, we should stay grounded and accept our circumstances, focusing on the essential act of living rather than striving for grand gestures.
Themes
ResilienceHumilityAcceptanceLifePerseverance
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational talk about overcoming adversity, this quote can remind the audience of the power of simply moving forward.
More from Mary Oliver
All quotes βAt the time I was growing up, literature was involved with the so-called confessional poets. And I was not interested in that. I did not think that specific and personal perspective functioned well for the reader at all.
Mary OliverRead
I know the sag of the unfinished poem. And I know the release of the poem that is finished.
Mary OliverRead
For poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry.
Mary OliverRead
If I have any lasting worth, it will be because I have tried to make people remember what the Earth is meant to look like.
Mary OliverRead
Every day I see or hear something that more or less kills me with delight, that leaves me like a needle in the haystack of light.
Mary OliverRead
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If it's wild to your own heart, protect it. Preserve it. Love it. And fight for it, and dedicate yourself to it, whether it's a mountain range, your wife, your husband, or even (god forbid) your job. It doesn't matter if it's wild to anyone else: if it's what makes your heart sing, if it's what makes your days soar like a hawk in the summertime, then focus on it. Because for sure, it's wild, and if it's wild, it'll mean you're still free. No matter where you are.
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