Staying Alive

poetry by Wagoner

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July 22, 2026

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"Staying Alive" is a poem by American poet David Wagoner, known for his works inspired by the Pacific Northwest landscape. The poem offers practical, instructional advice in verse for individuals lost in the wilderness.1

The poem suggests that the safest course of action when lost is to remain calm and decide whether to wait for rescue or to start walking in a single direction. Wagoner advises settling where one is, camping near water and away from shadows, and attempting to live off the land. This poem, published in 1966, is considered a significant work in Wagoner's career and has been widely recognized for its unique style and practical guidance.1

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David Wagoner
…latter year he also published Staying Alive, his most critically successful collection of poems to that point, and he became the editor of Poetry Northwest, a position he held until 2002. Staying Alive, according to the critics, showed Wagoner’s unique poetic style and featured the first of his instructional poems,…
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…latter year he also published Staying Alive, his most critically successful collection of poems to that point, and he became the editor of Poetry Northwest, a position he held until 2002. Staying Alive, according to the critics, showed Wagoner’s unique poetic style and featured the first of his instructional poems,…
Read More