The speaker then states “[my mother and I] don’t do anything,” offering further narration to the speaker’s and Oliver’s prioritization of sentimental value over pragmatic solutions. By “[not] do[ing] anything,” the author shifts to establish an atmosphere of peaceful dormancy through the lack of urgency despite the loom of “the mortgage.” Oliver continues to maintain this tone when the speaker then returns to a distant past through a “dream”, providing an increased sense of nostalgia and peacefulness within the poem. Through the imagery of “filling the blue fields,” Oliver depicts the sentimental value through “blue fields,” the colour blue being used in the context of the poem to communicate a sense of calmness, and therefore, emotional