Mary Oliver

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Isn’t it wonderful the way the world holds both the deeply serious, and the unexpectedly mirthful?
- Mary Oliver
Collection: World
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I GO DOWN TO THE SHORE I go down to the shore in the morning and depending on the hour the waves are rolling in or moving out, and I say, oh, I am miserable, what shall— what should I do? And the sea says in its lovely voice: Excuse me, I have work to do.
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Morning
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With words, I could build a world I could live in. I had a very dysfunctional family, and a very hard childhood. So I made a world out of words. And it was my salvation.
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Childhood
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Today I am altogether without ambition. Where did I get such wisdom?
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Ambition
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The man who has many answers is often found in the theaters of information where he offers, graciously, his deep findings. While the man who has only questions, to comfort himself, makes music.
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Men
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I was hurrying through my own soul . . . I was leaning out . . . I was listening.
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Soul
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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
Collection: How Precious Life Is
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There were times over the years when life was not easy, but if you’re working a few hours a day and you’ve got a good book to read, and you can go outside to the beach and dig for clams, you’re okay.
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Book
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You may not agree, you may not care, but if you are holding this book you should know that of all the sights I love in this world – and there are plenty – very near the top of the list is this one: dogs without leashes.
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Book
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And now you’ll be telling stories of my coming back and they won’t be false, and they won’t be true but they’ll be real.
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Stories
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When it’s over I don’t want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular, and real...
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Real
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We do not love anything more deeply than we love a story...
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Stories
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My first two books are out of print and, okay, they can sleep there comfortably. It’s early work, derivative work.
- Mary Oliver
Collection: Book