“Language is, in other words, not necessary, but voluntary. If it were necessary, it would have stayed simple; it would not agitate our hearts with ever-present loveliness and ever-cresting ambiguity; it would not dream, on its long white bones, of turning into song.”
Quote by Mary Oliver
Work
West Wind: Poems and Prose Poems
This volume brings together a selection of lyrical and narrative works that delve into the beauty and complexity of the natural world, as well as the human experience of change and continuity. more
Author
Mary Oliver
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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“When loneliness comes stalking, go into the fields, consider the orderliness of the world.”
Source: Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
Source: Evidence: Poems
“It is the nature of stone to be satisfied. It is the nature of water to want to be somewhere else.”
“You never know / What opportunity / Is going to travel to you, / Or through you.”
“You, too, can be carved anew by the details of your devotion.”
Source: Long Life: Essays and Other Writings
“A lifetime isn't long enough for the beauty of this world and the responsibilities of your life.”
Source: Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
“My work is loving the world.”
Source: Thirst: Poems