Mary Oliver, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, is cherished for her profound connection to nature, life, love, and the quiet beauty of everyday moments. Her quotes are more than poetic lines — they are soulful reflections that invite us to slow down, pay attention, and cherish the simple wonders around us. With language that is both accessible and deeply moving, Oliver encourages mindfulness, gratitude, and living with purpose. Her words speak to the heart of those seeking peace, clarity, and inspiration. Whether about nature’s splendor or the depths of human emotion, Mary Oliver quotes continue to resonate across generations.
Mary Oliver Quotes
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“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
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“Attention is the beginning of devotion.”
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“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
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“I believe in kindness.”
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“To live in this world, you must be able to do three things…”
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“You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”
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“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
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“Every day I see or hear something that more or less kills me with delight.”
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“Poetry is a life-cherishing force.”
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“Let the world have its way with you, luminous as it is.”
Mary Oliver Quotes on Love
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“Love yourself. Then forget it. Then, love the world.”
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“I loved her but she didn’t love me.”
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“There are a hundred paths through the world that are easier than loving.”
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“Love is a landscape the long mountains define.”
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“I was a bride married to amazement.”
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“Love, like the river, finds its own path.”
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“I held love like a bird in my hands.”
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“It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning, in this broken world.”
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“To love what is lovely and will not last.”
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“Still, what I want in my life is to be willing to be dazzled.”
Mary Oliver Quotes on Nature
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“The trees are soft and patient.”
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“I walk among the beauty of the world.”
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“The sunflowers blaze, maybe that’s their way of praying.”
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“All important ideas must include the trees, the mountains, and the rivers.”
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“I go down to the shore in the morning.”
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“The world offers itself to your imagination.”
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“There is nothing more pathetic than caution when headlong might save a life.”
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“The song of the wren is a prayer.”
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“I want to be improbable and beautiful and afraid of nothing.”
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“Nature is the temple we were born in.”
Gratitude Mary Oliver Quotes
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“My work is loving the world.”
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“Every morning, I walk like the moonlight in gratitude.”
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“I held gratitude in my hands like a small bird.”
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“It is a serious thing just to be alive.”
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“Joy is not made to be a crumb.”
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“There’s still time to praise and be grateful.”
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“Gratitude is the poet’s faithful companion.”
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“I am grateful for each morning’s breath.”
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“The world was made to be free in, and grateful.”
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“I wake to the gift of morning’s light.”
Mary Oliver Quotes About Life
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“This is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen.”
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“To live in this world, you must be able to do three things…”
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“What will you do with your one wild and precious life?”
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“I believe in living with the world, not against it.”
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“Happiness isn’t a town on a map.”
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“Life is precious, and we are fools if we forget that.”
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“You don’t have to be good.”
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“Don’t worry, sooner or later we all find our path.”
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“Let me keep company always with those who say ‘Look!’ and laugh in astonishment.”
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“I don’t know exactly what a prayer is, but I do know how to pay attention.”
Mary Oliver Quotes About Nature
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“Nature is where the heart feels most alive.”
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“A leaf in wind holds more mystery than a book.”
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“Rivers whisper secrets to those who listen.”
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“Nature teaches without words.”
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“The ocean is a poem written in waves.”
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“Even the stones are whispering.”
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“To watch the geese is to believe in freedom.”
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“The daisies speak of joy without speaking.”
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“The forest hums with invisible wonder.”
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“In nature, everything belongs.”
Mary Oliver Quotes on Gratitude
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“I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.”
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“Gratitude is the heart’s memory.”
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“Even the sparrow gives thanks in song.”
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“I knelt in the grass with thanks in my bones.”
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“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”
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“Gratitude turns morning into a prayer.”
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“To be grateful is to be alive.”
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“Each small thing asks to be noticed—and thanked.”
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“Bless the soft world that welcomes me each day.”
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“I wake to gratitude, and the day opens.”
Upstream Mary Oliver Quotes
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“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”
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“We are not wise, and not often kind.”
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“I did not think of language as the means to self-description.”
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“Belonging is a thing that changes.”
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“The soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness.”
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“Reading is an act of love.”
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“We must risk delight.”
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“I learned to love the world not just in pieces.”
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“Upstream, the world waits with its mysteries.”
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“I knew the world would come calling, and I went.”
Best Mary Oliver Quotes
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“What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
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“Tell about it.”
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“You do not have to be good.”
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“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
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“Pay attention. Be astonished.”
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“The world offers itself to your imagination.”
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“I believe in kindness.”
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“Joy is not made to be a crumb.”
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“My work is loving the world.”
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“Let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”
Mary Oliver Quotes on Hope
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“Hope is the thing with wings in the trees.”
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“Each dawn is a promise.”
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“Hope lives in the quiet morning.”
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“Let the light find you.”
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“There is still time to hope.”
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“The world offers itself to you—again and again.”
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“Hope is in the blade of grass returning.”
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“I rise each day in hope and wind.”
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“Hope is found where wonder lives.”
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“Hope walks quietly but surely.”
Short Mary Oliver Quotes
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“Tell about it.”
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“I believe in kindness.”
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“Keep some room in your heart.”
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“Attention is the beginning of devotion.”
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“Joy is not made to be a crumb.”
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“You do not have to be good.”
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“Every day is a gift.”
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“The world is full of magic.”
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“Be astonished.”
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“Instructions for living: Pay attention.”
Mary Oliver Quotes on Joy
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“Joy is not made to be a crumb.”
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“Joy is the serious business of life.”
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“Happiness isn’t a town on a map.”
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“Every day I see things that delight me.”
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“I was a bride married to amazement.”
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“Let me keep company with those who say ‘Look!’”
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“There are things you can’t reach. But you can reach out.”
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“Happiness is the best prayer.”
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“I simply do not distinguish between work and play.”
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“To find joy, look closely.”
Nature Mary Oliver Quotes
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“The world offers itself to your imagination.”
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“The sunflowers blaze, maybe that’s their way of praying.”
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“To pay attention, this is our proper work.”
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“I go down to the shore in the morning.”
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“All important ideas must include the trees.”
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“The wild geese call to you.”
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“Let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”
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“Every day the world is beautiful.”
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“Nature is the temple of the soul.”
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“The forest is a prayer.”
Famous Mary Oliver Quotes
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“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
-
“You do not have to be good.”
-
“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
-
“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
-
“I don’t know what a prayer is, but I do know how to pay attention.”
-
“Let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”
-
“I was a bride married to amazement.”
-
“Joy is not made to be a crumb.”
-
“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention.”
-
“The world offers itself to your imagination.”
Mary Oliver Quotes About Love
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“To love what is lovely and will not last.”
-
“You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.”
-
“Love yourself. Then forget it. Then, love the world.”
-
“I loved her but she didn’t love me.”
-
“Love, like the river, finds its own path.”
-
“Still, what I want in my life is to be willing to be dazzled.”
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“There are a hundred paths easier than loving.”
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“I held love like a bird in my hands.”
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“Love is attention.”
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“In loving, I find my life.”
Happiness Mary Oliver Quotes
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“Joy is not made to be a crumb.”
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“Every morning I walk with happiness beside me.”
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“Happiness isn’t a town on a map.”
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“I was made for delight.”
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“Let the world have its way with you.”
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“I wake early to greet the light.”
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“Happiness comes when I pay attention.”
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“Be glad, though the world will not stop for your joy.”
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“My loyalty is to the wild joy.”
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“Happiness is a decision to see.”
Dream Work Mary Oliver Quotes
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“I want to be improbable and beautiful and afraid of nothing.”
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“Let me keep my mind on what matters.”
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“The dream of my life is to lie down by a slow river.”
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“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
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“You only have to let your dreams love what they love.”
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“Let me live in the moment that is passing.”
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“I simply do not distinguish between work and play.”
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“In dreams, I carry the forest with me.”
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“A dream is a whisper of the soul.”
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“Where dreams live, life begins.”
Mary Oliver Quotes on Nature
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“The world offers itself to your imagination.”
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“The sun is a daily reminder we are alive.”
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“The trees are soft and patient.”
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“The song of the wren is a prayer.”
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“The earth is a gift we walk on.”
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“Nature holds the answers in silence.”
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“Each leaf is a sermon.”
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“The morning is wiser than the night.”
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“The ocean writes poetry in waves.”
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“Listen to the wind—it tells the truth.”
Poet Mary Oliver Quotes
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“Poetry is a life-cherishing force.”
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“I simply do not distinguish between work and play.”
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“My work is loving the world.”
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“The world is my text.”
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“I believe poetry is for everyone.”
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“To write is to praise.”
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“I honor my life through words.”
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“Poetry begins in silence and awe.”
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“A poet must never look away.”
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“Writing is my way of praying.”
Conclusion
Mary Oliver’s quotes remain timeless beacons of wisdom and compassion. Rooted in her deep reverence for the natural world and the human experience, her words invite us to look closely at life and embrace its beauty with awe and intention. Whether you’re seeking solace, motivation, or a reminder to live fully, Oliver’s reflections offer gentle guidance and enduring strength. Her legacy lives on in every soul stirred by her verses and every heart opened to life’s fragile wonders. In a noisy world, her voice reminds us to be still, be kind, and above all, be present.