Post by trinity on Nov 4, 2015 14:56:25 GMT -8
I can't recall seeing many reviews of books of poetry here in the past, but I am increasingly of the opinion that poetry is better able to capture the beauty and complexity of the natural world than ordinary prose, and few do this better than Mary Oliver. Why I Wake Early, like most of her poetry, is dedicated to observations of the natural world, with a strongly spiritual flavor. She has a keen eye, and a great gift for capturing the beauty, the majesty, the mystery, and the violence of nature without any of the sentimentality that often accompanies such writing. Included are poems about owls, goldenrod, dovekies, daisies, and a strong need for the solitude that only wilderness can offer. Below is a short poem, one of my favorites from this collection.
The Old Poets of China
Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe
that I do not want it. Now I understand
why the old poets of China went so far and high
into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
The Old Poets of China
Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe
that I do not want it. Now I understand
why the old poets of China went so far and high
into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
