Devotions

Devotions by Mary Oliver is a breathtaking anthology that captures the essence of a remarkable career spanning more than five decades. This meticulously curated collection offers readers an immersive journey through the poet’s finest work, illustrating her profound connection to the natural world and her keen insights into the human experience.

Throughout Devotions, Oliver’s unmatched lyrical beauty and spiritual introspection are vividly displayed. Starting from her earliest published work, No Voyage and Other Poems, released in 1963 when Oliver was just 28, to her last collection, Felicity, published in 2015, this anthology is a testament to her evolution as both a wordsmith and an observer of nature.

The book unfolds in a way that allows readers to savour her distinct voice and the recurring themes of gratitude, love, and wonderment in the face of nature’s myriad splendours. Oliver’s poems celebrate the ordinary moments, transforming them into extraordinary reflections on life, presenting a literary sanctuary from the chaos of modern existence. Her verses are imbued with a sense of serenity and mindfulness, offering readers meditative contemplation in every line.

A New York Times Bestseller, chosen as Oprah's 'Books That Help Me Through' for Oprah’s Book Club.

Chosen by the Poetry Book Society as their special commendation.

"No matter where one starts reading, Devotions offers much to love, from Oliver’s exuberant dog poems to selections from the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Primitive, and Dream Work, one of her exceptional collections. Perhaps more important, the luminous writing provides respite from our crazy world and demonstrates how mindfulness can define and transform a life, moment by moment, poem by poem." —The Washington Post

"It’s as if the poet herself has sidled beside the reader and pointed us to the poems she considers most worthy of deep consideration." —Chicago Tribune

Throughout her celebrated career, Mary Oliver touched countless readers with her brilliantly crafted verse, expounding on her love for the physical world and the powerful bonds between all living things. Devotions is a stunning, definitive, and carefully curated collection featuring work from over fifty years of writing - from Oliver's very first book of poetry, No Voyage and Other Poems, published in 1963 at the age of 28, through to her last collection, Felicity, published in 2015.

This timeless volume, arranged by Oliver herself, showcases the beloved poet at her edifying best. Within these pages, she provides us with an extraordinary and invaluable collection of her passionate, perceptive, and much-treasured observations of the natural world. Devotions is more than a book of poems; it is a treasure trove of reflective and inspirational moments that solidify Mary Oliver’s place as one of the most cherished poets of our time.