Finding Yourself in Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

There are some poems that whisper, and others that feel like a hand on your shoulder. Wild Geese by Mary Oliver does both.

Published in 1986 in her collection Dream Work, this beloved poem opens with a radical reassurance: “You do not have to be good.” In just a few lines, Oliver dismantles the heavy expectations we place on ourselves—moral perfection, constant productivity, relentless self-improvement. Instead, she invites us to be human. To be soft. To belong.

One of the most powerful aspects of Wild Geese is its deep connection to the natural world. Oliver doesn’t separate humanity from nature; she weaves us into it. The geese, flying “over and over announcing your place / in the family of things,” become a metaphor for belonging. You don’t have to earn your place in the world. You already have one.

The poem moves from the intimate to the vast. It begins with the personal—loneliness, regret, the “soft animal of your body”—and expands outward to prairies, mountains, and the clear blue sky. That widening lens mirrors what often happens when we step outside our own spiraling thoughts: the world reminds us that we are small, yes, but also connected.

Oliver’s language is simple, almost conversational. There’s no ornate imagery or complicated structure. That simplicity is part of the poem’s power. It feels accessible, like advice from a wise friend rather than a distant literary voice.

In a culture that constantly urges us to be more—more disciplined, more successful, more flawless—Wild Geese offers something revolutionary: permission. Permission to listen to your body. Permission to feel sorrow. Permission to exist without apology.

And perhaps that’s why the poem continues to resonate decades later. It reminds us that while we may feel isolated in our struggles, we are part of something larger and ongoing. Like the geese in the sky, we are moving forward—together—whether we realize it or not.

Sometimes, all we need is to be told: You belong.