by TeachThought Staff
In a world filled with noise, division, and endless demands on our attention, Wendell Berry’s poem The Peace of Wild Things offers a rare invitation: to step back and find solace in nature.
‘The Peace Of Wild Things,’ read slowly enough, can remind us of the deep, quiet refuge that exists in the natural world, beyond the reach of our everyday stress and anxieties. When human life feels overwhelming, he suggests that peace can be found not in more thinking or doing, but in a return to the simplicity and calm of the natural world around us.
Berry is writing about not simply disconnecting but rather reminding himself of the peace of wild places—the wild nature of creation itself—as a response to a modern world that is exceedingly uninterested in or at least forgetful not just of nature but also of its healing significance.
In this way, Berry explores leaving behind the worry and immersing himself in ‘the peace of wild things,’ where birds rest on the water and stars wait in the sky. It’s a reminder that nature, in its steadfastness, offers a healing calm free from human striving, division, or pressure.
If you’re looking to reconnect with something gentle and grounding, The Peace of Wild Things invites you to step out of your mind and back into the world’s heart, where peace waits patiently for all of us.
You can read the full text of The Peace Of Wild Things.
The ‘Peace Of Wild Things’ video is below.
The ‘Peace Of Wild Things’ video