James Arlington Wright Research Paper

Depression is a horrible disorder that affects numerous people around the world. According to Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, “Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older, in a given year” (“Depression Statistics”). James Arlington Wright was a famous American poet who suffered from depression. Wright wrote a great number of his poems relating to depression and the loneliness that come with this treacherous disorder. In Wright’s poems, “A Blessing,” “Northern Pike,” “Depressed by a Book of Bad Poetry, I Walk Toward An Unused Pasture and Invite the Insects to Join Me,” “Lying In A Hammock at William Duffy’s Farm In Pine Island, Minnesota,” …show more content…
In “Northern Pike” he writes, “Everybody I know and care for, / and everybody else, / is going to die in a loneliness” (“PoemHunter.com”). Here Wright is displaying loneliness which is an extremely common symptom of depression. I believe he is attempting to explain to the reader the amount of loneliness he feels in his life. In the poem “A Blessing,” Wright describes two horses in a pasture by saying “there is no loneliness like theirs” (“PoemHunter.com”). He goes on to say that the horses could “hardly contain their happiness” (“PoemHunter.com”) when he and his friends showed up. I think Wright feels a connection to these horses because he too has experienced loneliness in his life. By explaining the amount of joy the horses experienced from his company, he is showing the reader that a simple hello may bring substantial joy to a lonely person just like a simple visit brought joy to those two horses. People who are lonely or depressed often seek comfort in the outdoors and …show more content…
Wright found peace of mind when he surrounded himself with nature and wildlife. In the poem “Depressed by a Book of Bad Poetry, I Walk Toward An Unused Pasture and Invite the Insects to Join Me,” Wright is troubled by a book and seeks comfort in the insects around him. As he walks along, he closes his eyes and says “I want to hear them, they have clear sounds to make” (“PoemHunter.com”). The author is eager to hear the sound of crickets in hopes they might bring him peace. The theme of nature is also prevalent in the poem “Lying In A Hammock at William Duffy’s Farm In Pine Island, Minnesota.” While lying in a hammock, the author observes a “bronze butterfly, asleep on a black trunk, / blowing like a leaf in green shadow” (“PoemHunter.com”). Once again, Wright finds himself surrounded by nature and engulfed in tranquility. Wright’s comfort is not found solely from

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