The Poem “singapore” by Mary Oliver – Essay – geobasil00
Search
Essays
Sign up
Sign in
Contact us
Tweet
Index
/English
The Poem “singapore” by Mary Oliver
The theme of work in the poem “Singapore” by Mary Oliver The human body is a very complicated machine which was created by God himself. The body is capable of doing all sorts of things, but there are some things the body does with perfection. The perfection comes from continued practice, passion, love the desire, honesty and the responsibility that an individual shows toward a specific thing. Let me replace the word “thing” with the term ‘work.” This paper will focus on the theme of work from the poet Mary Oliver, “Singapore” which the author has used to show how people have the passion for their work. The poem begins with the poet narrating the life of a woman who was cleaning the dirty restroom at the airport. The author finds the work the woman is doing visually and physically dirty. But while the woman was doing the cleaning, she seems in her world. The poet sees the hands of the woman working in love while admiring at the scenes of the river. She has realized the reality of life that she must work to earn herself and her family living. From the poem, the speaker who is a tourist seems to be leaving Singapore as she notices the woman washing the restrooms (Poon). From her view of things, we can describe the persona as being a close-minded woman from her using the words “washing the tops of the airport ashtrays (L19).” She seems disgusted with the womans work but her perspective changes when the woman smiles back at her. The tourist woman is humbled, and she realizes that this work might seem menial and does not suit her, but to the woman, the job means the world to her, “Everybody needs a job.” (L. 15). To the woman who was cleaning the restroom, being in Singapore, her work meant everything, while working in Singapore as a woman, there was a perfect opportunity for her to raise from the harsh life women life and make her hopeful, “rise from the crust.” (l.25) this might not be the case, but the woman has the hope of a better tomorrow.
Continue for 2 more pages »
Read full document
Download as (for upgraded members)
Citation Generator
MLA 7
CHICAGO
(2019, 02). The Poem “singapore” by Mary Oliver. EssaysForStudent.com. Retrieved 02, 2019, from
“The Poem “singapore” by Mary Oliver” EssaysForStudent.com. 02 2019. 2019. 02 2019 <
"The Poem “singapore" by Mary Oliver." EssaysForStudent.com. EssaysForStudent.com, 02 2019. Web. 02 2019. <
"The Poem “singapore" by Mary Oliver." EssaysForStudent.com. 02, 2019. Accessed 02, 2019.
Essay Preview
By: geobasil00
Submitted: February 11, 2019
Essay Length: 548 Words / 3 Pages
Paper type: Essay Views: 517
Report this essay
Tweet
Related Essays
Owls by Mary Oliver
The great-horned owl is one of the most mysterious animals of the world. In an excerpt from Mary Oliver’s essay “Owls,” she discusses her
382 Words | 2 Pages
Mary Oliver Nature Poems
1. Discuss the way Oliver's nature poems can be read as political- questioning the hierarchies and dualisms underpinning Western cultures. Mary Oliver’s poems that explore
1,264 Words | 6 Pages
Mary Oliver and North American Indians
QUESTION: Mary Oliver's representation of the culture of the North American Indian is one of celebration and lament. She celebrates a humane ecological consciousness that
809 Words | 4 Pages
Owls by Mary Oliver
In the passage “Owls” by Mary Oliver, the author portrays her experiences when she is surrounded by nature. She conveys her both fear and
375 Words | 2 Pages
Similar Topics
Poem Analysis Judith Wright
Oliver Twist
Get Access to 89,000+ Essays and Term Papers
Join 209,000+ Other Students
High Quality Essays and Documents
Sign up
© 2008–2020 EssaysForStudent.comFree Essays, Book Reports, Term Papers and Research Papers
Essays
Sign up
Sign in
Contact us
Site Map
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Facebook
Twitter