Singapore
Singapore, although maybe considered dirty, is actually just a portrayal of the beauty of life in its smallest form. In the poem, a woman goes to the bathroom to see one of the stalls open and another woman inside washing something. As the other woman turns around the woman wonders what should really be in a poem. The other woman fully turns around and is embarrassed, but she smiles at the woman. The woman feels disgust and has no clue why. She thinks “Everybody needs a job.”(Oliver 177) She continues to wonder about what should be in a poem and she slowly begins to understand that even though this is not a necessarily pretty job the woman is doing, it is still beautiful how she does it. Basically put, the woman is living her life for others, and that is what makes the poem so beautiful. The poem Singapore by Mary Oliver tells people to enjoy the small things in life because they are just as beautiful as the big things. Even a life filled with toilet cleaning and and other janitorial duties can be beautiful. After hearing some of the class' thoughts on Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, my first impression of this poem was not that good. However, after fully reading it I was able to understand the true meaning behind. I do admit if it wasn't so blunt or straight to the point I probably would not have understood what it truly meant. However, because she drove home the point quite a few points I had no trouble finding a true theme behind this poem.