Explication of "First Snow" by Mary Oliver

Mary Oliver's poem starts out by setting up the scene of a snow storm beginning. As the poem progresses, the author asks; "why, how, whence such beauty and what the meaning" of the snow. The author here is questioning the meaning of snow and when and how winter actually begins. The author also uses the word "rhetoric" in the first couple of lines which takes this snowy winter scene from something of nature to a kind of dream or something that is not in reality. As the poem continues, a scene is set up which allows the reader to question why snow comes to us and what it means. The author uses the word "oracular" which is a prophecy, to add to the "rhetorical" scenario. The connection between snow and a rhetorical situation suggests that maybe snow is a magical thing and that we as humans are lucky to experience the phenomena of snow.

About half way through the poem, the snow has "finally ended" and everything is silent. This silence is described as "immense" and the author describes everything as still, peaceful, and beautiful. Even the trees are compared to castles of ribbon; "trees glitter like castles of ribbons." Towards the end of the poem, the questions from the beginning of the poem come back up and it is revealed that none of these questions will ever be answered.  The author ends the poem by bringing the silence and beauty of snow together as one.