The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry (Mitchell Bundick)

Wendell Berry is an American environmental activist known for his efforts to support sustainable agriculture. His 1968 poem The Peace of Wild Things discusses trying to find peace in his fear for the future. Berry describes being awake at night, troubled by the state of the world. However, he does not dwell in this space and rather takes himself to "where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds". Through this, Berry contrasts human doubt and worry with the presence of animals and nature. We discussed in class how animals are always in the moment, as they don't have the capacity to critically think and stress about things like the past or the future, like humans do. Berry uses nature as something to keep him grounded, while emphasizing its importance to humanity. Berry finishes the poem with a sense of stillness, as he feels a state of temporary freedom. The Peace of Wild Things suggests that we cannot completely eliminate stress and ecoanxiety, but we can find moments of clarity and calm by reconnecting with the nature that's around us. 

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