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Laela Nur Fitria

Hafilia R. Ismanto

ENC 1102U

17 March 2019

A Blessing: The Simple Happiness from Nature

James Wright’s poem “A Blessing” explains about his experience which gains happiness through

nature. The poem presents two topics which include a life lesson delivered by the speaker for the reader.

First, when the speaker around the highway to Rochester, Minnesota, he meets with two Indian ponies who

are grazing in the pasture. From here, the speaker begins the relation between human and nature who needs

each other. The speaker also illustrates how beautiful the scenery is at dusk in that area by personifying the

twilight with human ability. Second, since the speaker characterizes the ponies by illustrating its happiness

and love, he becomes happier because the ponies show their reaction to him. In this part, the speaker

dramatizes the ponies’ characteristics that make him amazed. To show his light-hearted, the speaker

emphasizes the reader by expressing his feeling through words in this poem. Generally, "A Blessing"

describes how the speaker become united with nature that gives him a life lesson. The speaker feels blessed

by God, even though happiness comes up from the simple things.

In the first topic, the speaker dramatizes how he begins his interest journey to nature's beauty. The

statement “Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass (2)” underlines that the reader can expect how the

situation around. When the speaker looks around and meets “the eyes of those two Indian ponies darken

with kindness (3, 4)”, it symbolizes as freedom or spirit to roam and ability to offer a helping hand. The

speaker notes that “They have come gladly out of the willows to welcome my friend and me” (5, 6) which

illustrates how the ponies welcome his appearance at that time. The willow tree symbolizes the adaptability

in some challenging condition. Even though it loses its leaves because of weather, the willow still has a

potential to grow. The speaker states “We step over the barbed wire into the pasture where they have been
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grazing all day, alone (7, 8)” which underline his action to take risks although it has to step over the barbed

wire. In this way, the speaker implies how interesting the nature is, which gives a value of life itself.

In the second topic, the speaker shows that nature has given him a life lesson which related to

human and nature who coexist next to each other. As the speaker illustrates the ponies that “They ripple

tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness that we have come (9, 10)”, it suggests how lovely they are

when the speaker approaches them. In this part, the ponies show that “They love each other (11)”, it

symbolizes as the ability to be loving and sympathetic. On the other hand, it is confusing that “love each

other (8)” here means as real ponies or refers to human? The speaker illustrates a connection with nature

through physical interaction based on line 15-17 “I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms, for she

has walked over to me and nuzzled my left hand.” The speaker also shows his admiration to nature by

giving some illustration about the ponies by stating “And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear

(20),” which makes him happy and cozy.

The poem reveals that nature gives freedom and happiness for people who feel happy although

because of the small and simple things found in the wild. The speaker illustrates the beauty of the wild

nature that can give a life lesson. The poem present how the speaker has a connection with the wild nature

which gives him a positive energy to be happy and amazed toward God’s creation.
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Work Cited

Wright, James. “A Blessing.” Poets.org. https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/blessing. Accessed 9

March 2019.