My favorite poet passed away yesterday. And, from what I’ve seen on social media, Mary Oliver was the favorite poet of many, many people.
I don’t read a lot of poetry – except Shakespeare – but I do read Mary Oliver. She was accessible. She wrote beautifully, lyrically, but in a plain spoken way that resonated with her readers. She wrote of nature. She wrote of grief. She wrote of living a life of integrity, taking chances, being in the moment, looking around you. Seeing. Being. Becoming.
I first discovered her poems in the late eighties. My mentor at Boston University, who was a voice teacher, used them as teaching tools in his voice class. Each student was assigned one of her poems. Eventually, they had to interpret it. Speak it. Make the images come alive through their voices.
I quickly bought a volume of her poetry. And then another. And another.
Some of my Mary Oliver books – the white one on the left is a collection of her poems.
When I moved to San Diego and started teaching voice as well as speech and dialects, I did the same thing. I assigned Mary Oliver’s poems, especially her poems that told a story, to my students. For most of them, this assignment was their introduction to Mary Oliver.
I’ve had students write me in the years since thanking me for that introduction.
So when I heard that she had passed away yesterday, for an moment, I felt as if the breath had left my body.
Such a profound loss.
But what a life she led. I heard Krista Tippett interview her a few years back. She was all I thought she would be and more. More than any other writer, she seemed to tap into my soul. She seemed to understand how I felt about nature and animals and people and life. And she taught me to look even more closely at the world around me.
She was preceded in death by her longtime partner, photographer Molly Malone.
She leaves behind her words, her images, her wisdom. I’m so grateful for that.
But oh, how we’ll miss her.
Rest in Peace.
Happy Friday.
Such a beautiful tribute, Claudia. Mary was one of my very favorite poets as well, and I found myself up early this morning, sitting in my “reading chair” and thumbing through her Devotions to reread my favorite passages. Such a bright light has left us, but oh how thankful I am that her words remain!
As am I. Thank you, Martha!
lovely tribute. thanks for sharing. and glad you have so many books of her words to enjoy …
best wishes on the storm. did you get the oil yet? hope so.
weather is supposed to turn bad here in a few hours. glad to be stocked up. grateful when all my family is home!
hope you have a nice peaceful weekend.
kathy in iowa
Oil won’t be delivered until tomorrow. And tomorrow the storm hits.
i hope you get the oil before the storm!!!
kathy in iowa
So do we!
She was amazing, and I’m so thankful for the body of work she has left for us!
Yes, she was. Thanks, Amy!
oh Claudia! tears filling my eyes here. I hadn’t heard that she died. I have loved her life and poetry for a long time. my favorite is the summer day.
‘The Summer Day’
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
—Mary Oliver
it’s as if I have lost a dear friend. and you’re right. like a kick in the stomach.
Billy Collins comes a close second for me. I too have never read that much poetry.
but she was the unique voice for our era. her simplicity was a gift.
thank you for your wonderful tribute to her here.
sharing sorrow. xo
Yes, that’s a favorite of mine. And Don loves Billy Collins.
Claudia, I am unaware of Mary Oliver, since I don’t read poetry. Nevertheless, I’ll have to look up some of her poems, if only because you and so many of your commenters have such glowing things to say about her.
You must. She was extraordinary!
I don’t read much poetry, but I do have a small file I’ve kept over the years of poems I’ve really liked. Looking through the file now, I find two by Mary Oliver even though I didn’t recognize the name. Which is your favorite of her books or which would you recommend so I can read more?
I don’t have a favorite. To start, maybe American Primitive. Thanks, Judy.
Hi Claudia.
After a long absence I am going to try and start replying to your blog again . It seems I always have something to say.
I don’t read much poetry, because I just don’t get it. I had never heard of Mary Oliver until today. After looking her up and reading a few of her poems I promptly ordered 3 of her books. Used, but I do not care. She seems to have touched my heart which is a shaky place to touch these days.
I do have to thank you. You have introduced me to many different authors that without you I would have have tried. Louise Penny with Inspector Gamache is first on this list. Pat Conroy is another. And , now Mary Oliver. I have even tried to read Shakespeare, but he swooshes right over my head.
Stay warm. Make sure you have snacks. And don’t go out. That is my prescrition for your weekend.
Trudy! It’s so good to hear from you again! I hope things are somewhat better for you, my friend.
Mary Oliver will soothe you.
Mary Oliver was a national treasure and her words well worth holding close to the heart. I loved hearing how you used her work with your students. I would thank you, too.
She will be missed, Jeanie.
Claudia, Thank you so much for your lovely tribute to Mary Oliver.When I read of her death in the NYT yesterday I felt as if I lost a close friend.xo
I did, too. I understand. Thank you, Annette.
I discovered Mary Oliver a few years ago, and also mourn her passing.
I have found myself re-reading her work given the awful and stressful times
we are living in now.
I have taken comfort in her Invitation –
“It is a serious thing ,
just to be alive,
on this fresh morning
in the broken world.”
I just re-read those lines the other day and thought how relevant and soothing they are – how necessary. Thank you, Maralyn!
I was honored to be interviewed on stage last Summer at a movie premiere and I quoted Mary Oliver with my very favorite ….
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” I live these words daily.
Since her death, I’ve seen so many posts from so many people who I had no idea they were fans. She touched so many lives and enriched our language. She will be missed!
X Chy
She had an enormous influence on so many. How blessed we are to have lived when she was alive and writing.
I can tell from what I have read here that I need to give Mary Oliver a try…better late than never!…Thanks everyone for your sweet examples of her work!
You must read some of her poetry Nancy. You love nature so much – she’s perfect for you.
A much-loved and unique voice. Immortal.
Indeed! Thank you, Roxie!
Hope you get your heating oil!
I live in an apartment now-for the past year-and don’t have those concerns but for years used a little stove made by EDEN PURE-doesn’t raise electric that much and is something like LED! Fantastic-you might look into it!
Fingers crossed about the oil.
I will look into that stove, Brenda. Thank you!
I am so sad that this glorious poet has not come to my attention until her death. Reading your post, quotes from readers and other posts about her I feel like I have missed out. Luckily I can still read her poetry and I will find a book to start. Just the quotes I’ve seen on line have touched me.
I’ve written about her on the blog before – but not for a long time. She is wonderful, Linda. You will enjoy her work.
Mary Oliver is one of those rare people whose death fills us at once with both grief and joy; grief at realizing she no longer walks this earth with us, but joy in knowing she left us with so much. xo
Beautifully said, Dori.