Mary Oliver, a luminary in the world of poetry, has left an indelible mark with her profound and contemplative verses. Her poetry, often rooted in nature and the human experience, resonates with readers around the globe. Let us embark on a journey into the poetic realm of Mary Oliver through a selection of her quotes.
Mary Oliver’s quotes form a tapestry of wisdom, capturing the essence of her unique perspective on life and nature. One of her celebrated quotes is, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” This poignant inquiry invites introspection, urging individuals to reflect on the preciousness of life and the choices they make.
List Of 25 Quotes by Mary Oliver
- “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
- “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
- “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.”
- “Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
- “Attention is the beginning of devotion.”
- “Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.”
- “The world is full of paper. Write to me.”
- “I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable and beautiful and afraid of nothing as though I had wings.”
- “Listen—are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?”
- “To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.”
- “I held my breath as we do sometimes to stop time when something wonderful has touched us.”
- “You must not ever stop being whimsical. And you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life.”
- “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”
- “The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.”
- “I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus. I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand.”
- “Poetry isn’t a profession, it’s a way of life. It’s an empty basket; you put your life into it and make something out of that.”
- “Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed.”
- “What can we do but keep on breathing in and out, modest and willing, and in our places?”
- “I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.”
- “The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.”
- “Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?”
- “And the days are not full enough, and the nights are not full enough and life slips by like a field mouse not shaking the grass.”
- “I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable and beautiful and afraid of nothing as though I had wings.”
- “So this is how you swim inward. So this is how you flow outwards. So this is how you pray.”
- “Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
Oliver’s words often echo themes of mindfulness and reverence for the natural world. In one quote, she beautifully expresses, “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” This succinct guidance encapsulates her belief in the transformative power of paying attention to the simple wonders that surround us.
In her renowned quote, “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,” Oliver invites a liberation from societal expectations, encouraging authenticity and self-love.
Oliver’s connection with nature is a recurring theme in her poetry, and this is evident in another compelling quote: “Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” This phrase, nestled within the top 10 quotes, reflects her belief in the infinite possibilities that nature, and life itself, can unveil if we remain open and receptive.
As we explore the profound wisdom in Mary Oliver’s quotes, we encounter an invitation to be present in the moment. In her words, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” This simple yet powerful statement highlights the transformative nature of attention—an acknowledgment that to truly appreciate life, one must be fully present and engaged.
Delving into her reflections on the human experience, Oliver’s quote, “Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift,” resonates with a universal truth about resilience and growth. It is a testament to her ability to find beauty in adversity and appreciate the lessons hidden within life’s challenges.
Mary Oliver’s poetic eloquence extends to the intricacies of nature. In her quote, “The world is full of paper. Write to me,” she invites us to embrace the richness of the world and to communicate, to share our stories and experiences, much like the written words that fill the pages of the world.
Her contemplative spirit is evident in the profound observation, “I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable and beautiful and afraid of nothing as though I had wings.” This quote encapsulates Oliver’s desire for a life unburdened by fear, where one can soar freely in pursuit of the extraordinary.
Mary Oliver’s quotes are not only poetic expressions but also windows into her philosophy on life, nature, and the human soul. They invite readers to engage in a dialogue with their own existence, urging them to question, appreciate, and embrace the beauty woven into the fabric of everyday moments.
In the realm of Mary Oliver’s quotes, we find an invitation to live with intention, to savor the profound and the simple alike, and to acknowledge the interconnectedness of all life. Her words, like whispers from the natural world, remind us to be present, to marvel at the wonders around us, and to embark on the journey of self-discovery with curiosity and courage.
As we contemplate Mary Oliver’s quotes, we are prompted to ask ourselves: How can we infuse our lives with the same sense of wonder, attention, and authenticity that she so beautifully advocates? How can we navigate our journey with the softness of love for ourselves and an openness to the unimaginable possibilities that life holds? In the echo of Mary Oliver’s verses, we discover not just words on a page but an enduring call to embrace the wild and precious gift of our own lives.