Peace of Wild Things
By Wendell Berry
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the Peace of Wild Things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
Summary of Peace of Wild Things
- Popularity of “Peace of Wild Things”: The poem ‘Peace of Wild Things’ was written by Wendell Berry, a multidimensional personality having environment, criticism, farming, and more on his portfolio, The current poem is an excellent and surprising, which appeared first in 2018 in his book of the same title with several other poems having environment and nature as their major thematic strands. The popularity of the poem rests on the metaphor of the environment and the poet’s frantic effort for its conservation.
- “Peace of Wild Things” As a Representative of Nature and Environment: The poet starts the poem with his particular concern about the world as it is heading to a disaster on account of the current ecological activities going on. His concern for his own life is matched by his concern for the lives of his children. What is even more impressive is that he sees nature through the same lens. He knows that the drake and heron are living in the same ecological setting. Suddenly, it dawns upon him that he is in the peace of the wild things and that we, human beings, do not cause them to worry after some thoughts. We only feel about our own comfort and then suddenly come to know that we are causing them consternation. When he sees himself in the water, he comes to know that water has starred in it during daytime and the other stars are waiting for their turn at night. Surrounded by this natural environment, the poet finds solace and ease, suggesting his distance from the worries and commotion of the world.
- Major Themes in “Peace of Wild Things”: Concern for the environment, love of nature, and comfort in the lap of nature are three major thematic strands. The poet starts with the poet’s concern for the environment, joining his own survival and survival of his generation with the survival of ecology. Suddenly, he feels that this beauty of nature surpasses the artificial beauty of the world that he does not describe. The stars of the stream seem to have a replacement in the shape of the actual stars at night while the wild things are feeding themselves. Amidst this natural setting, he feels comfortable.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Peace of Wild Things
literary devices tools used for poetic or prose writing. Their major aim is to make text appealing, readable, and smooth. The analysis of these devices in the poem is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /ee/ And I feel above me the day-blind stars”.
- Alliteration: It is the use of successive consonant sounds in the initials of the successive words, such as the sound of /w/ in “waiting with”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “and I wake in the night at the least sound” and the sound of /r/ in “I go and lie down where the wood drake.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “and I wake in the night at the least sound”, “Rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds” and “we do not tax their lives with forethought”.
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poem shows metaphor the metaphor of despair and fear.
- Personification: The poem shows despair, fear, and day blind stars personified as if they have life and emotions of their own.
- Paradox: The poem shows the use of paradoxes such as “And I feel above me the day-blind stars/waiting with their light.” It has two contradictory ideas.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of the symbols of birds, water, and stars, representing natural beauty.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Peace of Wild Things
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: The poem shows the use of simple figurative diction that shows things rather than narrative.
- Free Verse: The poem does not follow any strict rhymes scheme. Therefore, it is a free verse poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. This poem has a single stanza with 11 verses in total.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “Peace of Wild Things” are relevant to use when talking and discussing a seminar for the conservation of nature.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.