Synopsis
Upstream
Mary Oliver’s Upstream is a collection of short essays on the process of writing, finding a sense of belonging and safety within our lives and forming spiritual connections through nature. Set in the speaker’s hometown of coastal New England, this book is composed of small vignettes surrounding different motifs within nature—from varieties of birds specific to the region and types of plant life and aquatic species. These images are conveyed in a simplistic but meaningful way to remind the reader of the beauty and fleetingness of joy. Oliver strays from the abstract to paint a picture of how we can hold both good and bad experiences in our hearts and come to accept this duality.
Review
This anthology is easy to digest and well organized. While Oliver’s poetry tends to be outwardly focused to her surrounding environment, this offers a uniquely inward glimpse into her mind and perspectives on writing. Each essay is self-contained and carries a spiritual weight of its own. While maintaining her signature wordplay, Oliver diverges from basic poetry conventions in favor of something more unique and contemplative. While I admire the meditations throughout the piece, I find her poems to be more memorable and compelling.