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Quote by Mary Oliver

“Are my boots old? Is my coat torn? / Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect?”

Quote by Mary Oliver

Book:Thirst: Poems

Work

Thirst: Poems is a compilation of verse that delves into the concept of thirst, examining it through various lenses and metaphors. The poems within this collection may range from literal thirst for sustenance to metaphorical thirsts for knowledge, love, or fulfillment. The work is likely to offer readers a contemplative and introspective journey through the human experience of longing. more

Author

Mary Oliver is a renowned American poet, born on September 10, 1935. Her poetry is known for its profound depiction of the natural world and delicate insights into life. Oliver's style is simple and direct, which has won her a wide audience. more

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“Children play earnestly as if it were work. But people grow up, and they work with a sorrow upon them. It's duty.”

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“I thought the earth remembered me, she took me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts, her pockets full of lichens and seeds. I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed, nothing between me and the white fire of the stars.”

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Source: New and selected poems

“In the glare of your mind, be modest. And beholden to what is tactile, and thrilling.”

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“Invention hovers always a little above the rules.”

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Book:West Wind: Poems and Prose Poems

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Book:Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver

Source: Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver

“Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous to be understood. How grass can be nourishing in the mouths of the lambs. How rivers and stones are forever in allegiance with gravity while we ourselves dream of rising.”

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Book:Evidence: Poems

Source: Evidence: Poems

“Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore unsuitable. I don't really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of praying, as you no doubt have yours. Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible.”

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Author:Mary Oliver