Several years ago I participated as a student and a
teaching assistant in a poetry MOOC (massive open online course) taught by
former US poet laureate Robert Pinsky. At the completion of "The Art of
Poetry," each participant compiled an anthology of favorite poems. Many of
the poems in my anthology are fairly obscure but one in it that is well-known
is "The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell Berry. This poem came alive
for me one morning in a park. The following is an I excerpt from a blog post I published
in 2017.
In this one stanza free verse poem Wendell Berry
speaks in the first person and he is speaking about the healing power of
nature. Several years ago, I had a terrifying nightmare that left me nervous
and upset. The following day I took my little dog for a walk in a nearby park.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of pounding hooves so close I felt the vibrations
in the ground caused by their power. Four beautiful white-tail deer galloped
by! Awestruck, I stood very still and watched them till they disappeared in the
woods. My dog was also still. No longer startled, I felt calm but not an
ordinary calmness, something deeper and not easily described. The last line of
“The Peace of Wild Things” came to me – “I rest in the grace of the world, and
am free.” I don’t remember the nightmare. I do remember the deer and
Wendell Berry’s poem.
To read the poem click here.
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