The Woods

Oliver frequently uses the woods as the settings for her poems, ranging from the beginning to the end of her career. The woods, for her, represent a range of emotions, from peace, tranquility, and joy to mystery and the unknown. Oliver spoke publicly about how she frequently walked into the woods to write, and this habit is well represented in her work. Her feelings about the woods are addressed directly in the poem "How I Go To The Woods," and indirectly in numerous others.

The Classroom

Several of Oliver's poems, and especially "The Poetry Teacher," talk about the significant amount of her life spent teaching poetry at the college level. These poems are laced with a certain amount of ambiguity, since Oliver's time spent in the classroom was time spent away from nature, which was where she felt herself to be the most fulfilled. Oliver is also...