Believe me, if anybody has a job and starts at 9, there's no reason why they can't get up at 4:30 or five and write for a couple of hours, and give their employers their second-best effort of the day - which is what I did. Mary Oliver coupledayeffort share on social
Words have not only a definition... but also the felt quality of their own kind of sound. Mary Oliver definitionfeltkind Change image and share on social
I very much wished not to be noticed, and to be left alone, and I sort of succeeded. Mary Oliver leavenoticesort Change image and share on social
To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. Mary Oliver bonedependhold share on social
To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work. Mary Oliver attentionendlesspay Change image and share on social
I love the line of Flaubert about observing things very intensely. I think our duty as writers begins not with our own feelings, but with the powers of observing. Mary Oliver begindutyfeeling Change image and share on social
As a child, what captivated me was reading the poems myself and realizing that there was a world without material substance which was nevertheless as alive as any other. Mary Oliver alivecaptivatechild Change image and share on social
I worked privately, and sometimes I feel that might be better for poets than the kind of social workshop gathering. My school was the great poets: I read, and I read, and I read. Mary Oliver feelgathergreat Change image and share on social
I consider myself kind of a reporter - one who uses words that are more like music and that have a choreography. I never think of myself as a poet; I just get up and write. Mary Oliver choreographykindmusic Change image and share on social
I went to India and was quite taken with it. There's a feeling there that things are holy first and useful second. Mary Oliver feltholyindia Change image and share on social
