Unpacking the meaning behind Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese"

"Wild Geese" is one of Mary Oliver's most popular poems. Poet David Keplinger, musician Lucy Dacus, and comedian Stephen Colbert share what the poem means to them. "We think of wild as chaotic, but wild is harmonious with the wilderness, which is where we all came from," said Colbert. "We're born wild."

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Clip Season 40 Episode 5 Length 02:30 Premiere: 08/25/26

Recent Episodes

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Clips & Previews

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Preview Length 02:37 Premiere Date 08/25/26

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Length 03:48 Premiere Date 09/04/20

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Length 04:55 Premiere Date 09/03/20

Jacques Pépin makes rice cakes with eggs

Length 03:22 Premiere Date 09/03/20

The First Black Woman to Run for Vice President of The U.S.

Length 12:32 Premiere Date 08/26/20

Zitkála-Šá: Trailblazing American Indian Composer and Writer

Length 11:39 Premiere Date 08/19/20

Jeannette Rankin: The First Woman Member of U.S. Congress

Length 12:38 Premiere Date 08/12/20

Jovita Idar: Mexican American Activist and Journalist

Length 11:08 Premiere Date 08/05/20

Martha Hughes Cannon: The First Woman State Senator

Length 12:23 Premiere Date 07/29/20

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Length 11:53 Premiere Date 07/22/20

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Length 10:02 Premiere Date 07/15/20

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Length 11:54 Premiere Date 07/08/20

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Length 12:14 Premiere Date 07/01/20

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Length 11:05 Premiere Date 06/24/20

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Length 11:37 Premiere Date 06/17/20

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Length 10:40 Premiere Date 06/10/20

Gladys Bentley: Gender-Bending Performer and Musician

Length 11:51 Premiere Date 06/03/20

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Length 10:18 Premiere Date 05/27/20

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Length 10:59 Premiere Date 05/20/20

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Length 10:18 Premiere Date 05/13/20

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Length 12:12 Premiere Date 04/29/20

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Length 10:00 Premiere Date 04/22/20

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Length 11:25 Premiere Date 04/15/20

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Season 40 Episodes

Show Episodes

Show Clips & Previews

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

S40 E5 Length 1:22:55 Premiere Date 08/25/26

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause

S40 E4 Length 1:52:45 Premiere Date 05/19/26

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House

S40 E3 Length 1:40:12 Premiere Date 03/17/26

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible

S40 E2 Length 1:23:05 Premiere Date 02/20/26

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire

S40 E1 Length 1:23:55 Premiere Date 01/27/26

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

Preview Length 02:37 Premiere Date 08/25/26

The political nature of Mary Oliver's poems

Clip Length 02:00 Premiere Date 08/25/26

Steve Buscemi reads Mary Oliver's poem, "The Fish"

Clip Length 01:18 Premiere Date 08/25/26

How Mary Oliver met her life partner, Molly Malone Cook

Clip Length 01:26 Premiere Date 08/25/26

Mary Oliver had a troubled childhood

Clip Length 02:32 Premiere Date 08/25/26

Unpacking the meaning behind Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese"

Clip Length 02:30 Premiere Date 08/25/26

Steve Buscemi reads Mary Oliver's "The First Time Percy Came Back"

Clip Length 00:58 Premiere Date 08/25/26

Lucy Dacus reads Mary Oliver's "The Journey"

Clip Length 01:06 Premiere Date 08/25/26

Remembering Paula Wayne

Clip Length 03:09 Premiere Date 11/12/18

Artists Flight Series Promo

Preview Length 00:30 Premiere Date 08/31/18

Remembering Neil Simon

Clip Length 01:04 Premiere Date 08/28/18

Remembering Anthony Bourdain

Clip Length 00:24 Premiere Date 06/08/18

Against All Odds: Meet the Woman Behind American Masters

Clip Length 05:29 Premiere Date 03/09/18

See All Episodes

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American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez - S38 E5

Discover the legacy of filmmaker and playwright Luis Valdez, a founding figure of the Chicano Movement. Valdez is known for his play Zoot Suit, the Ritchie Valens biopic La Bamba and the theatre company El Teatro Campesino.

Tuesday October 6, 2026 9:00 pm ET on KET
Tuesday October 6, 2026 8:00 pm CT on KET
Thursday October 8, 2026 2:00 am ET on KET
Thursday October 8, 2026 1:00 am CT on KET

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Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House - S35 E6

Wednesday August 26, 2026 2:00 am ET on KET2
Wednesday August 26, 2026 1:00 am CT on KET2

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World - S37 E8

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Unpacking the meaning behind Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese"

Recent Episodes

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire

Starring Dick Van Dyke

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Clips & Previews

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

The political nature of Mary Oliver's poems

Steve Buscemi reads Mary Oliver's poem, "The Fish"

How Mary Oliver met her life partner, Molly Malone Cook

Mary Oliver had a troubled childhood

Unpacking the meaning behind Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese"

Steve Buscemi reads Mary Oliver's "The First Time Percy Came Back"

Lucy Dacus reads Mary Oliver's "The Journey"

Remembering Paula Wayne

Artists Flight Series Promo

Remembering Neil Simon

Remembering Anthony Bourdain

Against All Odds: Meet the Woman Behind American Masters

Specials

Brooke Shields' early career with Bob Hope and performing for the troops

The Many Passions of Matteo Lane

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World [EAD]

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World [ASL]

Taylor Rooks Talks NBA, Interview Techniques and Finding the Person Behind the Athlete

How Clive Davis became a titan of the music industry

Michael Sarnoski: What Robin Hood and Folklore Tell Us About Ourselves Today

Mike Wallace reflects on the 60 Minutes tobacco story controversy

Tyler James Williams on 30 Years of Acting and Protecting the Next Generation

Olivia Wilde on making “Tron: Legacy” with Jeff Bridges

Why Atsuko Okatsuka’s Comedy Connects Across Cultures

Stankface Standing Soldier: The Rise of Mato Wayuhi

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause [EAD]

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause [ASL]

Warren King: King of Cardboard

Greg Kinnear on Acting, AI, and Why Movies Still Matter

Aliah Irvine & Kehau Kapua’a: Kukulu

Chris Fleming Embraces the Chaos

Cindy Tran: From Here to Here

Lani B. Supreme: Legacy

Hannah Mayree: Songs of Reclamation

John Goodman on "The Big Lebowski" and Jeff Bridges

Alsarah: The Sonic Historian

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House [EAD]

Bella! This Woman's Place Is in the House [ASL]

Ani Liu: Eye Heart Womb

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible [ASL]

Sun Ra: Do The Impossible [EAD]

Night in Newark

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire [ASL]

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire [EAD]

Maryam Taghavi: Estranged Letters [Extended Audio Description]

How Leslie Jones Became a Comedian

Maryam Taghavi: Estranged Letters

Phoebe Robinson Shows Her Work

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore [EAD]

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore [ASL]

Sarah McLachlan: Making Music to Connect and Heal

Harvey Fierstein on gay representation on Broadway and its deep history

How Natasha Rothwell’s Life Brought Her to “The White Lotus”

When Ringo Starr met Mae West

Daniel Dae Kim Leads Spy Drama and Fights for Industry Change

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb [ASL]

Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb [Extended Audio Description]

Mel Brooks' wild ride to his first Broadway show ever

John Kander and Fred Ebb on “Cabaret,” creativity and collaboration

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy [Extended Audio Description]

House of Aama: Threads of Legacy [ASL]

Marcella [ASL]

Marcella [Extended Audio Description]

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme [ASL]

Norman Teague: Love Reigns Supreme [Extended Audio Description]

Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny [ASL]