Mary Oliver Poem #4 "Praying"

 Mary Oliver Poem #4: “Praying” 

Mary Oliver's poem "Praying" serves as a gentle guide to a more contemplative and grateful existence. Mary Oliver invites the reader, me in this case, to prayer. She explains what this can look like and debunks some myths surrounding prayer. She explains how prayer isn't confined to the grand or picturesque; it extends to the ordinary and overlooked elements of the world.

The opening line, "It doesn't have to be the blue iris," immediately alleviates any pressure to seek out the traditionally beautiful or exceptional. Oliver encourages a shift in perspective, a willingness to recognize the divine in the everyday. Whether it's weeds in a vacant lot or a few small stones, the poet prompts me to pay attention to the often-dismissed details of my surroundings.

The directive to "just pay attention" becomes a call to mindfulness, an invitation to be fully present in the moment. In doing so, I am prompted to engage with the world around me in a way that goes beyond superficial observation. The act of paying attention is framed as an essential part of the prayerful experience, a means of opening myself to the richness of the present moment.

The poet's guidance on crafting words is particularly poignant: "patch a few words together, and don't try to make them elaborate." In this simplicity, I find a freedom from the constraints of perfection or eloquence. The emphasis is not on impressing others or meeting a standard but on expressing genuine gratitude. It's a reminder that prayer, in its essence, is a personal and authentic conversation with the divine.

The assertion that "this isn't a contest but the doorway into thanks" shifts the focus from performance to gratitude. The act of prayer becomes a threshold, an entryway into a state of thankfulness. Oliver's choice of the word "doorway" implies that prayer is not an end but a beginning, a passage into a mindset of appreciation for the myriad facets of life. The closing lines, "and a silence in which another voice may speak," deepen the contemplative nature of the poem. The silence is not emptiness but a receptive space, an opportunity for a transcendent connection. This silence is pregnant with the possibility of hearing a voice beyond my own, an invitation to commune with something greater than myself.

In reflecting on "Praying," I am moved to embrace a simplicity yet urgency in my prayer life. While I do find that this poem could be applicable to many nonreligious individuals, I find a special connection in a more literal sense as I do practice prayer in my religious/spiritual life. It is easy to feel overwhelmed or inadequate when approaching prayer, even from a perspective of gratefulness, so this reminder that prayer does not need rehearsing and memorizing is encouraging for me to read. Mary Oliver encourages me to find the sacred in the ordinary, to be attentive to the world around me, and to express gratitude in simple, sincere words. Ultimately, the poem serves as a gentle reminder that prayer is not a rigid ritual.