LIT 2030 017 12584
Nature's Way of Therapy
"I am learning to Find the Horizons of Peace " by Prageeta Sharma
You Are Here, a collection of fifty nature poems, was written by Ada Limon, the 24th poet Laureate, to encourage a sense of connection with the nature surrounding us.
Throughout the poem “I am learning to Find the Horizons of Peace”by Prageeta, Sharma argues that one of the best places for people to find emotional healing is in nature. This poem appeals to readers who are drawn to the idea of finding peace in difficult times. Prageeta Sharma uses imagery of nature and simple thoughts to help readers understand how to accept hardships.
This poem showcases Sharma views nature as a living force that builds mindfulness instead of just as an outlet for emotion. Sharma's words create an image that nature provides healing when humans are struggling with loss or grieving in traumatic times. Sharma inspires readers to find emotional strength and peace in nature's patterns that make up life itself by concentrating on the ocean, ocean, sky and horizon.
“The sight of a pearling ocean contrasting the rust sunset” (Sharma, 11). The ocean's changing waves are compared to our emotions changing. This shows how Sharma learns to adapt and find calmness even as things are constantly moving. The ocean helps us understand that it's okay for feelings to come and go, just like the waves do.
The poem also uses the sky to symbolize hope and new perspectives through imagery. A visual can have deeper meaning than what your eyes can see, it's in the mind of the viewer to find the meaning behind it. “...a pure blue sky of mapping after you've been enduring some pain or challenge. We work through the panic into insight”(Sharma, 27-29). This represents that the sky in the poem helps us see that there is light ahead, even in tough times. Analyzing how the blue sky supports us through nature's way of healing.
“I know that part of the present moment is that we paid to have this hotel view of the horizon but this will not be as eternal as what I now must forge before me;”(Sharma, 46-49). As Sharma looks out at the horizon from hospice, she finds a sense of clarity during a difficult time. By focusing on the horizon, the poem shows how looking out at something steady in nature can help us accept the changes in her own life. In this way, the horizon becomes a symbol of how Sharma learns to face hardships with the help of nature. The horizon also shows how slowing down and taking in your surroundings can help readers find peace.
Sharma portrays throughout the poem showing how nature can help readers find peace and hope even when things are difficult. By looking at the horizon, ocean, and sky, the author finds everyday things in nature helping her heal. This is a good reminder for anyone who is going through a bumpy road, to find good in nature surrounding us. The author creates a great lesson for everyone who takes nature for granted as it can create peace and healing capabilities if you just look for it. Prageeta Sharma provides readers with the idea that nature's healing power can be found in the natural world during life's most challenging times.
Limón, Ada. You Are Here. Ada Limon, 15 Apr. 2025.
Sharma, Prageeta. I Am Learning to Find the Horizons of Peace. Ada Limon, 2024.
Wolfe, Joanna, and Laura Wilder. Digging into Literature: Strategies for Reading, Analysis, and Writing. Boston, Bedford/St. Martins, 2016.
Spot survey completed.