Nature as Consolation for Loss

Nature as Consolation for Loss

A Blessing by James Wright is a poem that explores the relationship between human
beings and nature. The poet demonstrates an intense desire to connect with nature. It almost
appears as if he gets an experience that he had been deprived of. The poet explains an encounter
he experiences with his friend after coming across two Indian ponies. The poem uses symbolism
and personalization to explore the feeling of connecting with nature and its significance in
helping human beings escape from the stress of life.
The ponies in the poem symbolize the beauty of nature. The two ponies in A Blessing
have been personified by being compared to humans and by explaining their emotions. The
speaker says, “they can hardly contain their happiness that we have come.” The ponies are even
described as welcoming and loving. This shows nature’s abundance. The speaker and the friend
feel at peace through their interaction with nature.
The world of nature that the speaker and the companion enter is special in that there is an
instant connection. The speaker expresses a strong desire to connect with nature. He says, “I
would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms.” The speaker acknowledges that humans can
have a sensual experience when they take time to connect with nature. When the two step over
the barbed wire and enter the pasture where the two ponies are grazing, something changes
instantly. The speaker and companion are able to establish both a physical as well as and
emotional connection with nature.
The speaker’s encounter with the ponies is so meaningful to them because they realize
that it is possible to break the barrier between human beings and nature. They do so by first
connecting physically with the ponies. They cross the fence and even hold the ponies in their

arms. After breaking the physical barrier, they then break the emotional one, and that is when
they experience real peace. The two come to the realization that there exists a gap between
humans and nature, which, if broken, can bring immense joy. When the two ponies welcome the
speaker and the companion, they get a unique experience. While nature is just within them, just a
fence away, they do not take as much time as they should connect with it.
Overall, the encounter between the two ponies and the speaker, together with the
companion, compensate for the gaps that exist between the worlds of humans and that of nature.
It requires effort from both worlds for them to enjoy the presence of each other. This is evident
when the speaker says that the two ponies “had been grazing all day, alone.” They, too, feel
loneliness and isolation from the human world. This is why they welcome the speaker and the
friend. Thus, the encounter might be compensating for the lost time that should have been spent
between humans and nature.