Whatever you are, / I see you, wild yellow, and I would let you name me.
-- Speaker (Goldenrod) (Goldenrod )

Importance: In "Goldenrod," the speaker observes the wildflowers growing along the roadside while driving. She sees a sort of yellow flower, and calls it goldenrod, though she admits that she is unsure if it is in fact goldenrod. In the final lines of the poem, she apologizes to the flowers if she has misnamed them, inviting them to name her in exchange. In this way, the speaker opens a dialogue with the plant life. She knows that she does not and may never be able to remember all of the flowers' classifications and monikers, yet is eager to sustain a relationship with the natural world. This moment contributes to the author's explorations concerning humans' relationship with nature, and the search for meaning and understanding.

What is she on to now? I mean the woman. / I mean...
-- Speaker (Walking the Dog) (Walking the Dog)