Comparative Analysis: Her Kind and Wild Geese Poems

Faith after doubt, acceptance, and being true to oneself are all themes in life that anyone can relate to in their individual experiences. Anne Sexton and Mary Oliver attest to that fact in their poems “Her Kind” and “Wild Geese.” Both focus on struggles throughout life from different perspectives, but in the end, emphasize that life is meaningful. Broadly, Sexton focuses on the idea of societal pressure, while Oliver focuses on humans’ individual struggles. This is pushed through perspective; Sexton writes her own experiences in first-person perspective, while Oliver writes to the reader through second-person perspective. Similar literary elements tie the poems together; both authors use imagery to convey their message. Both use elements of nature; Oliver relies heavily on natural elements, while Sexton’s relies on natural images and other familiar images. Though two completely different poems with varying subject matter and language, Sexton and Oliver both share the experiences of living, specifically how to live. 

Though published nearly thirty years apart, the poems work together to create a type of discussion through similarities and differences.  Sexton and Oliver are both heavy users of imagery and a little bit of metaphor. Content matter and structure oppose each other in each poem, as well as perspective. One could argue that due to those similarities and differences, the poems could be read as a conversation between the writers. The poems start with striking first lines, which are used to hook the reader into the reading. These two lines are almost interconnected by exchange, almost like speaking back and forth. In “Her Kind,” Sexton writes “I have gone out, a possessed witch / haunting the black air, braver at night” (line 1-2), while Oliver writes “You do not have to be good / You do not have to walk on your knees” (lines 1-2). When comparing the writing, it is like Oliver could be speaking directly to Sexton, telling her she does not have to constrain to preset ideals, and Sexton is responding to her to tell her she will not conform. Another example of this type of interaction between the writing is the lines “Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine / Meanwhile the world goes on” (lines 6-7) in “Wild Geese” compared to any stanza in “Her Kind,” because the whole poem is a story. The last stanza especially engages in discourse with Oliver’s lines. 

I have ridden in your cart, driver,

waved my nude arms at villages going by,

learning the last bright routes, survivor

where your flames still bite my thigh

and my ribs crack where your wheels wind.

A woman like that is not ashamed to die.

I have been her kind.

(lines 15-21)

Sexton outlines her struggles, and in the end, is not afraid to die, which could be tied into Oliver’s line “Meanwhile the world goes on” (line 7), because the world keeps its life, even after one dies. The different use of perspective- first person versus second person- speaks largely for the argument. It would not be as successful if Oliver was speaking directly to the reader, or if Sexton was not speaking at the reader in first-person. Even just by analyzing a few lines in “Wild Geese,” a reader can make the assumption that tone has a lot to do with the overall interpretation of the poem. The different use of pronouns and perspectives also adds to the tone and theme of the poems; Oliver’s tone is more light, hopeful, and encouraging directed at a large scale of people, while Sexton’s descriptions of her experiences are very intense and personal. This hypothetical discourse between the two writers hones in on the themes and messages of the two poems, and vice versa. Through faith and doubt, you must stay true to yourself and accept life for how it comes, because it does not wait. 

The structure is an important aspect while analyzing the poems. “Wild Geese” is formatted as a free verse poem, and “Her Kind” has strict stanza formation, each with 7 lines and all ending the same. However, in “Wild Geese” you can visualize breaks in the poem, which separate different parts and form some kind of structural element. Because of this, you can relate different parts of each poem to each other. For example, there is a break between aforementioned lines 6 and 7 where Oliver writes “Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine / Meanwhile the world goes on,” and another break at lines 13 and 14: “are heading home again / Whoever you are, no matter how lonely.” This breaks up the reading into three parts, which is the same number as “Her Kind.” Interestingly, each poem’s section has a similar focus or message. 

Sexton’s message is portrayed by writing experiences as a story, while Oliver’s poem is more about solutions or the calm after the storm. In the first segment of each poem, there is recognition of universal struggles in one’s life, written with heavy metaphor and imagery. The second is about being a small aspect in the grand scheme of things, and also has a concentration on nature and its imagery. Last, the third segment of each poem is a conclusion, in which each author writes about surviving and accepting one’s place in the world, again with a focus on imagery. These sections are also littered with metaphor and imagery which allows for the reader to pull together connections and see the communicative element between the two; the reader is able to create the story with images. An example of this in Oliver’s writing is “You only have to let the soft animal of your body / love what it loves” (lines 5-6). In this line, the body is represented and symbolized by something that is not human. The reader can clearly visualize their own body in the form of an animal, warm and soft. Her gentle word choice so early on sets a tone for the rest of the poem as well. Compared to Oliver, Sexton’s tone is completely different. It is harsh, powerful, and demands attention. In one of Sexton’s concluding lines, she writes “where your flames still bite my thigh / and my ribs crack where your wheels wind” (lines 18-19). Again, one can see metaphor and imagery used to create a visual for the reader. The picture of flames is something recognizable to everyone, but the metaphor of biting thighs is the tone-setter. You could apply the same argument to the next line; wheels are universally recognizable, but by claiming that her ribs crack the wind of the wheel, the idea of power is enforced to the reader. Arguably, the difference between the tones of the two excerpts could be compared to the conversation between an encouraging mother and a free-willed child. Once more, Sexton and Oliver’s use of devices in their poetry work continue to create a dialogue. 

While the poems both have their individual significance and implications, if one puts them together, they create something new. Though there is no evidence that the authors ever had any personal engagement with one another, when compared, their two poems together create a discussion. Theme and structure are the key components of this argument. In both, they are very similar. Not only does the theme help to emphasize communication between the writers, but the tone as well. The difference in tone is recognizable as one giving advice to another. This is especially supported by the difference in the choice of point of view each poem is written in, which includes first-person and second-person perspectives. Additionally, the literary elements, such as metaphor and imagery, push both of the authors’ points of view and experiences. Every literary choice, made by each author, works together to provide the writing with similar context and meaning, furthering the idea of an exchange between the writers.