THE SUFI PATH OF SELF-REALIZATION: A CASE OF MARY OLIVER’S POETRY

Abstract

The study aims to explore Self-realization as a spiritual and religious concept in the poetry of Mary Oliver (1935-2019). Oliver is an American poetess, well recognized and award-winning. Her poetry is characterized by the elements of nature, spirituality, and transcendence. The present study is an attempt to uncover the mystical and spiritual veils of Oliver’s poetry that lead to self-realization. Self-realization is a spiritual, mystic and religious concept that is present as a tradition in nearly all the religions in the world. The study traces several station and stages of it such as awakening of the self, purification of the self and illumination of the self. Moreover, the study also explores the higher stations of the sufi journey that are love and Oneness of Being. She is not only a mystic but also a nature poet. Hence, the study makes use of nature as a backdrop in her poetry and its role in the journey to self-realization. The theoretical framework for this study is taken from the philosophy and mysticism of Ibn-e-Arabi (1165 – 1240). He is
one of the most renowned sufis. He is also an Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher, extremely influential within Islamic thought. The study interprets the selected poetry of Oliver in the light of Ibn-e-Arabi’s spiritual ideas, self-realization, love, and the Oneness of Being.