Mary Oliver: Musings of Faith and Nature

taking inspiration from my favorite poet

In fall of 2023, I checked every bookstore, new and used, for the poetry book I had seen so many times before online. “Devotions” by Mary Oliver, a collection of poems created by the award-winning poet herself. At the time, I didn’t know much about Oliver or her work, but I just had a feeling that this poetry book would be something really good for me.

Finally, I found the perfect second-hand copy. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the poems, I remember thinking it would be edgy Plath-esque poetry on the passing of time and perhaps some societal commentary. The “devotions” would, of course, be the devotions of the self. However, I was shocked when I opened the pages and found the poetry was simply about nature or the small moments in life.

Oliver writes her poems with an earnest simplicity and not a single poem has ever left me feeling uncertain. The poet is constantly combining the spiritual life with what’s tangible: an encounter with nature, kisses from a lover, or watching her dogs run in the woods. “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work,” she writes. Unlike some poets who pose unanswered questions, Oliver gives moral direction in her work, saying we need to love, be watchful, or be quiet.

“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.”

Rest in Peace Mary Oliver— you would have loved instagram poetry. Which I think is true because of the easy way it reads, and the bits and pieces you could pull from it. As I’ve grown I’ve realized that not all meaningful things have to be dissected and torn apart to be understood. Oliver’s emphasis on the ordinary is what makes her work special to me, she shows a perspective of seeing beauty in everyday life, and encourages her readers to notice the same.

Mary Oliver never got a degree, she was openly a lesbian; dedicating all of her collections to her long-term partner, and she never called herself a christian. However, her work is so spiritual. Before researching Oliver, I always referred to her as a christian poet. But what is it that makes a figure christian? Is it faith? Then certainly she must be. And even though she never claimed a religion it’s evident through her poetry that she really valued her relationship with God and was grateful because of it.

For many, it isn’t faith that compels them. When asked about his faith, the Irish singer Hozier said, “the only question I struggle with… to who do I direct my gratefulness for living this life?” He goes on to say. “I just try to be grateful. To find a space within myself that I can sit and be quiet and be still and take account of all the things that I need to be grateful for.” [paraphrased for clarity]

This sentiment is something I really connect with because, in my experience, to actively pursue some form of gratitude is so important. It’s a positive way to ground oneself, as Hozier said, ‘to take account.’ This is true for Mary Oliver in her poetry about wildlife and creation, for Hozier in his music exploring the pains and passions of mortality, and for all of us, wherever we can find it.

All this to say, I’ve been trying to have a Mary Oliver summer: taking inspiration from all the love and nature around me and writing about it. Now is a perfect time while I’m living close to the bay and seeing an abundance of wildlife. I’ve also taken a lot of time to journal and to reflect. Within the process of reflecting, I’ve found it also important to give my heart space to react and it’s been a good period of growth in my life.

After reading Oliver’s poems when I’m outside or when I wake up in the morning beckons me to write my own. I’ve never had any problem writing but poetry always feels so vulnerable. But Oliver makes it all very simple, she even said, “when you write a poem, you write it for anybody and everybody.” In addition to writing about nature, it’s been really freeing for me as a writer to accept that I can just write however much I want about what interests me and my favorite things, e.g. this personally influential poet.

I recommend her work, Devotions especially is a beautiful collection. On my reread I’m starting to write my own notes in the margins of the pages, which sometimes evolve more into journal entries than annotations. Dog Songs is wonderful for any pet lovers. Primitive American is an award winning collection from when Oliver was younger, and could be seen as more edgy. My heart leaped when I found a copy of this collection, Primitivo Americano, in a small bookstore in Northern Italy, where the Italian translation was printed next to the English one. It’s now a prized possession.

My attempt at writing Oliver-style poetry:

UNDER ME

I almost didn’t notice the snake 

Slithering in the water beneath my feet 

As I read on the pier, legs dangling 

Towel under me, still damp from yesterday’s swim 

If I hadn’t noticed this snake

Would I have seen the second?

The water ripples as it passes

Head above the water, watching

It leave me ever wondering

What’s next?

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Sources

Devotions, Mary Oliver You can buy the book from a local bookshop here

American Primitive, Mary Oliver Buy the book here

Hozier Interview, Brittany Broski on Youtube. “Talking to Hozier about god and Milkshakes” Interview

Life of Mary Oliver Article

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Thank you for reading! I’m wishing everyone a Mary Oliver summer. Please let me know your own favorite Oliver poems or quotes. Mine is undoubtedly her poem “Storage.”

Summer in Maryland recap coming soon!

Love, Oatmilk Allison