Attention is the beginning of devotion.
Oliver's famous line 'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?' invites us to live with intention.
Book summary
Perennial SellerGoodreads Favorite
Devotions
by Mary Oliver
The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
Essential poems celebrating nature's beauty
4.8(8.9k)Published 2017
Topics
PoetryNatureSpiritualityMindfulness
Reading companion
How to read Devotions with Readever
Read this collection slowly and deliberately, allowing space between poems for reflection. Consider reading outdoors when possible to connect with the natural settings Oliver describes. The reverse chronological arrangement means you'll encounter her mature wisdom first—embrace this unique structure as a journey through her artistic evolution. Read a few poems daily rather than rushing through the entire collection.
Things to know before reading
This is a career-spanning collection, so don't expect to read it cover-to-cover in one sitting. Familiarize yourself with Oliver's background as a nature poet who found spiritual meaning in the ordinary. Be prepared for poems that invite you to slow down and pay attention to the world around you. Consider keeping a nature journal alongside your reading to record your own observations.
Brief summary
Devotions in a nutshell
Devotions gathers over 200 of Mary Oliver's most beloved poems spanning five decades, from her debut collection in 1963 to her final works in 2015. Arranged in reverse chronological order, this definitive selection showcases Oliver's profound connection to the natural world—her ability to find divinity in wild geese, black oaks, and ordinary moments of attention.
Key ideas overview
Devotions summary of 3 key ideas
Oliver's poems reveal how close attention to nature becomes a spiritual practice, transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary revelations.
Nature reveals spiritual truths that transcend religious dogma.
Oliver finds God not in churches but in 'the god of dirt' and 'the god of the hummingbird.'
Wildness teaches us how to live authentically.
'You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.'
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Find wonder in the world right outside your door.
This collection offers a portable sanctuary—poems that slow your breathing, sharpen your senses, and remind you that beauty persists even in difficult times. Oliver teaches us how to pay attention, how to be astonished, and how to live with gratitude for the simple gifts of being alive.
Deep dive
Key ideas in Devotions
Key idea 1
Attention is the beginning of devotion.
Oliver's famous line 'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?' invites us to live with intention.
Throughout Devotions, Oliver demonstrates that true seeing requires slowing down and looking closely. Her poems model how to observe a grasshopper, a lily, or a heron with such focused attention that the boundary between observer and observed dissolves. This practice of deep looking becomes a form of prayer—a way of honoring the sacredness in all living things.
Remember
- Daily mindfulness begins with noticing small details in your immediate environment
- Presence transforms ordinary moments into opportunities for wonder
- The natural world offers constant invitations to practice attention
Key idea 2
Nature reveals spiritual truths that transcend religious dogma.
Oliver finds God not in churches but in 'the god of dirt' and 'the god of the hummingbird.'
Oliver's spirituality is earthy and immediate—she discovers divinity in marshes, forests, and shorelines rather than traditional religious spaces. Her poems suggest that nature itself is scripture, offering wisdom about mortality, resilience, and interconnectedness. This pantheistic approach makes spiritual experience accessible to anyone willing to walk outside and pay attention.
Remember
- Spiritual connection doesn't require formal religious structures
- Nature provides direct access to transcendent experiences
- The sacred exists in the ordinary and everyday
Key idea 3
Wildness teaches us how to live authentically.
'You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.'
Oliver's wild geese, bears, and other creatures model a way of being that is unapologetically itself. Her poems celebrate instinct, appetite, and the wisdom of the body. By observing how animals live without self-consciousness or apology, we learn to shed societal expectations and embrace our own authentic nature.
Remember
- Authenticity means honoring your instincts and natural rhythms
- Wild creatures model how to live without apology or artifice
- Self-acceptance begins with recognizing our animal nature
Context
What is Devotions about?
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver is a career-spanning collection that brings together the poet's most essential work. Curated by Oliver herself in the final years of her life, this volume represents her poetic legacy—a testament to her lifelong conversation with the natural world.
The book features poems from all of Oliver's major collections, arranged in reverse chronological order so readers can trace the evolution of her voice and concerns. From the early precision of No Voyage and Other Poems (1963) to the mature wisdom of Felicity (2015), Devotions showcases Oliver's remarkable consistency of vision and her deepening exploration of nature as spiritual guide.
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Review
Devotions review
Oliver's poetry achieves the rare combination of accessibility and depth. Her language is clear and direct, yet her insights resonate with profound spiritual wisdom. The poems in Devotions feel both timeless and urgently contemporary—reminders of what matters in a world increasingly disconnected from natural rhythms.
Critical Reception: Devotions was celebrated as the definitive collection of Oliver's work. The Washington Post selected it as one of their Best Poetry Books of 2017, praising its ability to offer "much to love, from Oliver's exuberant dog poems to selections from the Pulitzer Prize-winning American Primitive." The collection became an instant bestseller and solidified Oliver's reputation as America's poet of nature and spirituality.
- Named one of The Washington Post's Best Poetry Books of 2017
- New York Times bestselling poetry collection
- Hailed as the definitive collection of Oliver's five-decade career
- Poems that feel both ancient and urgently contemporary
- Accessible language that belies profound spiritual depth
- A portable sanctuary for difficult times
- Includes selections from Pulitzer Prize-winning *American Primitive*
- Features over 200 poems spanning from 1963 to 2015
- Arranged in reverse chronological order to showcase artistic evolution
Who should read Devotions?
Readers seeking solace and perspective in nature
Anyone feeling disconnected from the natural world
People exploring spirituality outside traditional religious frameworks
Poetry lovers who appreciate clear, accessible language with deep meaning
Those looking for daily practices of mindfulness and attention
About the author
Mary Oliver (1935-2019) was one of America's most beloved and bestselling poets. Born in Maple Heights, Ohio, she developed an early love for nature while exploring the nearby woods. After attending Ohio State University and Vassar College, she moved to Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she lived for over fifty years and wrote most of her poetry.
Oliver published her first collection, No Voyage and Other Poems, in 1963. Over her long career, she received numerous honors including the Pulitzer Prize for American Primitive (1984) and the National Book Award for New and Selected Poems (1992). Known for her accessible yet profound poems about nature, Oliver's work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and continues to inspire readers worldwide with its celebration of the natural world and the human spirit.
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Final summary
Devotions offers a lifetime of wisdom distilled into poems that teach us how to pay attention, how to be astonished, and how to live with gratitude. Oliver's work reminds us that the natural world is always available as teacher, healer, and companion—we need only step outside and look closely.
Inside the book
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