2nd Special Entry: "Prayer" by Mary Oliver

“Prayer” is a short 55 word poem written by Mary Oliver. Although the reading is quite small, the meaning is rather extravagant. The poem is as follows:

It doesn’t have to be
The blue iris, it could be
Weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
Small stones; just
Pay attentions, then patch

A few words together and don’t try
To make them elaborate, this isn’t
A contest but the doorway

Into thanks, and a silence in which
Another voice may speak.

I am interpreting this text because it is so meaningful. It’s one of those pieces you can read periodically and get a different interpretation each time. At first glance, the poem looks exceptionally easy. But once the poem is read more than once, the reality of the poems depth arises. Prayer is such a major topic with many opinions. This poem takes a very broad, controversial subject and narrows it down to its true, simplistic origin.

The opening lines of the poem, “It doesn’t have to be the blue iris…” holds plenty of depth and meaning. But if you’re not florist or a flower lover, you probably wouldn’t know what a “blue iris” is. It is one gorgeous looking flower, an attention getter, eye candy, something that would draw people in with its beauty. It’s truly an extravagant piece of nature’s art. In this poem, Oliver uses “blue iris”, like much of the poem, as a metaphor. I believe she is saying prayer doesn’t always have to be beautiful; it doesn’t have to be something that attracts. Even though we are communicating with the Almighty, our words shouldn’t be covered in a façade of allurement. I don’t think she is saying prayer can never be beautiful. In prayer, we should give praise and the result is beautiful. I do believe she is saying that we shouldn’t get caught up in solely praying just to give praise. In doing so, we leave out one of the points of prayer, giving your thoughts, cares, and worries to Christ. Giving you’re inner most thoughts and feeling (good or bad) to Christ is so important. It’s a very important interpretation; prayer doesn’t always have to beautiful and perfect.

Oliver makes this point very clear with the next few lines, “…it could be weeds in a vacant lot…” Weeds are often unattractive, not wanted, and an annoyance to all its occupants. A vacant lot is, vacant, empty, and void. I believe Oliver is saying prayer is also a time to give Christ those annoyances and unwanted circumstances, especially when life feels lifeless and void. Bottle up emotions, no matter how unattractive, need to be released and dealt with. People often forget that there allowed to come to Christ with their issues. Concerning prayer, there should be a balance between its blue irises’s and weed field lots. One without the other leads to a lop-sided prayer life.

Oliver continues and states that prayer also could be “… a few small stones; just pay attention then patch a few words together and don’t try to make them elaborate…” In prayer, especially in front of large groups of people, Christians can tend to showcase their prayers into a long, drawn out production. I believe Oliver is saying we loose the meaning of prayer when we make prayer a performance; an elaborate group of holy words with intentions of impressing an audience. Prayers are meant to be meaningful, a time to focus, to reflect, and regurgitate the thoughts within the mind. I believe that’s what she means by “just pay attention”. Don’t loose you’re meaningfulness in the act of performing prayer. It could be something small with a powerful punch, much like this poem. If a persons prays for four hours long, that’s doesn’t the person is better than the person who prayer for only four minutes. The person who ‘prayed’ for four hours could have been uttering nonsense the whole time or vise versa. I believe God looks at the intent of the heart, if you’re really paying attention to what you’re saying, and if you mean it.

Moving forward, the poem continues and says, “…and don’t try to make them elaborate, this isn’t a contest…” Why do humans have the habit of making almost everything a competition? Why do Christians (while praying) tend to feel the need to out-pray others before us in prayer circles? Where in scripture does it speak of prayer in a contest format? I can tell you scriptures never speak of competitive praying, it’s not meant to be contest. If prayer was some sort of a contest, I believe it would destroy its purity. Humanistic competitiveness would get in the way and destroy a wholesome and holy ritual. To go further, why, in prayer, do people speak of everything but forget to give thanks?

“…this isn’t a contest, but a doorway into thanks…” There is so much to be thankful for, especially in the USA. The United States of America represent freedom, freedom we should be thankful for. Jesus also died so we could have a chance, a choice to follow Him, and be with Him in eternity. Beyond that, I believe Oliver wants the reader to understand that prayer should be action of gratitude and thankfulness. Prayer is the doorway into showing the Father your earnest affection of oblige. I believe this is one of the most important interpretations in the piece as whole. Not just to be thankful, but to also give you’re thanks to God. You never know what you have until it’s gone.

“... and a silence in which another voice may speak…” Some people interpret this last line literally, that you will hear an audible voice. I don’t think Oliver even wants her readers to focus on the ‘voice’. Focusing on hearing sounds during prayer brings distraction. Plus, it’s not meant to be taken literally; I believe it’s to be taken metaphorically like the rest of the poem, symbolizing God’s presence being with you in your silence. I believe Oliver wants us to focus on praying in silence. How often are we still, motionless, in the silence of an intimate prayer time? Not often, the other half of prayer is being silent before the heavenly father.

From Theatre to the Movie Screen

For many years, musicals and plays have been brought onto the ‘big screen’. Some adaptions of these theatrical productions are done with taste and excellency, others, not so much. I believe one of the best movie adaption of theatrical play I’ve seen is “Doubt”. The story line is enticing and engages the audience throughout the movie, there is no weak actor throughout the film, and each actor gives a superb performance. Now, I might be a little bias, I’ve never seen the play “Doubt” performed. But I have seen both versions (on film & stage) of “Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”. All I can say, there are dramatic differences. The movie is done well, in fact went on and won numerous awards, but it did, in my opinion, become a bit unbelievable, unlike the actual musical. The only movie adaption I’ve seen stay true to it’s original theatrical material is “Romeo + Juliet”, a modern movie adaption of the famous Shakespearean play.

Readers might be wondering, what all of this has to with an Intro to Literature course. Well, it does. Theatre, plays, musicals, whatever you want to call it, it’s all literature. In my literature class we’ve been looking into a theatrical piece called, Waiting For Godot”. It’s a very bizarre piece, to say the least. Reading it, can make you bit confused. They’re many interpretations. But watching the piece, as a movie, in class, brought semi-understanding to its madness.

Watching theatre come alive is so much fun, to watch the movie version of “Waiting for Godot” was indeed a treat. Seeing how the actors created their characters ( off of so little guidance in the script) and delivered their lines made me think differently about the piece as a whole. It’s one thing to read play, but another to see it. I believe the movie adaption of this play brought a lot of clarification, understanding and liveliness too the piece. I enjoyed thoroughly.