[UPDATE] There's nothing so sensible as sensual inundation": Mary Oliver's Search for Transcendence (NEMLA, April 7-11, 2010, Mo
Poet Mary Oliver has often been criticized by feminist critics for her close association of women with nature, an association some believe put the woman poet in danger of losing her identity and ability to create meaningful art. However, Oliver's poems suggest that such a connection with nature may indeed be a powerful, transformative experience as her poems investigate how one can merge with nature, experience the natural world and its wonders, and discover how to live fully in one's life. She suggests that we need to look, watch, and feel our experiences more carefully if we are to transcend ordinary moments and find more meaningful ways of knowing and being in the world.