What Religion Really Feels Like
Click to read poem
Denise Levertov’s poem “To Live in the Mercy of God” portrays her observation of the world and what it means as a human, to live at the mercy of God. As Levertov is a religious woman, her testimony about religion is more relevant and true than the opinions of those who are not religious women. She cannot speak for all women, but she can certainly speak for herself. One might anticipate, based on her description that thoughts of God produce “Awe, not comfort,” that Levertov feels uncomfortable, intimidated, or limited at the thought of living at the mercy of such a God. However, Levertov goes on to explain that awe passes to comfort, and describes being upheld by various forces of nature. To Levertov, the mercy of God is love and the blessing of living, not oppression of will, as other media portrayals may suggest. She feels freed, not suppressed, blessed, not stifled, loved, not controlled. Thus, her true experience contradicts stereotypes built around religious women by negative portrayals in the media.
