Skip to content

Body Quote by Mary Oliver

“We shake with joy, we shake with grief. What a time they have, these two housed as they are in the same body.” quote by Mary Oliver
Download Open image
“We shake with joy, we shake with grief. What a time they have, these two housed as they are in the same body.”

Mary Oliver

About This Quote

Source Poem: “The Body” from Collected Poems, 1992

Joy and grief coexist within a single being, reflecting life's dual emotional nature.

In simple terms: Joy and grief share the same body.

Key Takeaway

Accept both emotions as parts of the whole.

Themes

emotion duality human experience balance

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

  • grieving loss
  • celebrating success
  • mindfulness practice
  • creative writing

Key Concepts

Existentialism psychology emotional integration

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you hold joy and grief together?
  • What practices help balance contrasting feelings?
A Different Perspective

Focusing on one emotion may suppress the other.

2.0 out of 5 (3 ratings)

More by Mary Oliver

Explore all 470 Mary Oliver quotes

More Body quotes

Browse all 20,814 Body quotes