I don't want to end up simply having visited this world. —Mary Oliver
Our students at The English Farm have big dreams. They don’t want to simply work— they want their work to mean something!
Grammar Point:
“Simply” is an adverb. Adverbs modify verbs and tell you how they’re done. Let's look at two sentences, one with an adverb and one without. How are these sentences different?
He ran to the store.
He quickly ran to the store.
Other adverbs include: happily, quietly, reluctantly. As you can see, adverbs often end in -ly.
Simply [adverb]—in a straightforward or plain manner; without art or subtlety.
With this definition in mind, we can read Mary Oliver’s words as:
I don’t want to simply visit this world in a straightforward or plain manner. I want to live my life to the fullest!
Here are a couple more example sentences:
I don't want to simply impress the client. I want this to be the best presentation they've ever seen!
Your work is simply magnificent.
Did you know? Mary Oliver was an American poet who won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.