In 'Devotions', Mary Oliver invites readers into a world of nature's splendor and the profound reflections it inspires. Through her beautifully crafted poems, she explores the intricate connection between the human spirit and the natural world. Each page brims with a sense of wonder and gratitude, urging us to pause and appreciate life’s simple pleasures. Oliver's keen observations reveal deeper truths about love, loss, and the search for meaning. This captivating collection resonates with anyone seeking solace and insight in the beauty of everyday existence.
By Mary Oliver
Published: 2017
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
A New York Times Bestseller, chosen as Oprah's "Books That Help Me Through" for Oprah's Book Club “No matter where one starts reading, Devotions offers much to love, from Oliver's exuberant dog poems to selections from the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Primitive, and Dream Work, one of her exceptional collections. Perhaps more important, the luminous writing provides respite from our crazy world and demonstrates how mindfulness can define and transform a life, moment by moment, poem by poem.” —The Washington Post “It’s as if the poet herself has sidled beside the reader and pointed us to the poems she considers most worthy of deep consideration.” —Chicago Tribune Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver presents a personal selection of her best work in this definitive collection spanning more than five decades of her esteemed literary career. Throughout her celebrated career, Mary Oliver has touched countless readers with her brilliantly crafted verse, expounding on her love for the physical world and the powerful bonds between all living things. Identified as "far and away, this country's best selling poet" by Dwight Garner, she now returns with a stunning and definitive collection of her writing from the last fifty years. Carefully curated, these 200 plus poems feature Oliver's work from her very first book of poetry, No Voyage and Other Poems, published in 1963 at the age of 28, through her most recent collection, Felicity, published in 2015. This timeless volume, arranged by Oliver herself, showcases the beloved poet at her edifying best. Within these pages, she provides us with an extraordinary and invaluable collection of her passionate, perceptive, and much-treasured observations of the natural world.
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“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Devotions
By Mary Oliver
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
Mary Oliver (1935-2019) was an acclaimed American poet, renowned for her intricate observations of nature and the human spirit. Her writing is characterized by its clarity, simplicity, and profound depth, often reflecting themes of beauty, solitude, and the connection between humanity and the natural world. Among her most notable works are 'American Primitive,' which won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1984, and 'New and Selected Poems,' which received the National Book Award. Oliver's ability to capture fleeting moments of life with lyrical grace has made her a beloved figure in contemporary poetry.
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