New and Selected Poems, Vol. 2

by Mary Oliver

Mary Oliver has been writing poetry for nearly five decades, and in that time she has become America's foremost poetic voice on our experience of the physical world. This collection presents forty-two new poems-an entire volume in itself-along with works chosen by Oliver from six of the books she has published since New and Selected Poems, Volume One.

Genres: Poetry, Nature, Nonfiction, Contemporary, Spirituality, Adult, Literature

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Mary Jane Oliver was an American poet who won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Her work is inspired by nature, rather than the human world, stemming from her lifelong passion for solitary walks in the wild.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume of poetry is supremely accessible. While it would be exhausting and difficult to read straight through a volume by most poets, I glided from cover to cover of this book in less than two hours. Oliver is so gentle and transparent with her readers, whom she directly addresses with great frequency, that it feels as if she is holding your hand on a guided tour (with dogs) through a country side full of singing birds and (somehow not depressingly) animal carcasses.

Since a search for meaning can be fatiguing (and fruitless), Oliver makes absolutely certain that her readers know what she is up to, both in terms of her aesthetics and her mission. (As I quote her, I will not be including tiny slashes to indicate line breaks, since she tends to write in fairly conventional and complete sentences and since her line breaks rarely warrant special attention):

"I want to make poems that say right out, plainly what I mean, that don't go looking for the laces of elaboration, puffed sleeves."

"It is what I was born for--to look, to listen, to lose myself inside this soft world--to instruct myself over and over in joy, and acclamation."

"What else can we do when the mysteries present themselves but hope to pluck from the basket the brisk words that will applaud them"

She is a celebrant; she is full of praise and positivity. She is not ashamed to find ordinary things miraculous and to exhort people to "look" and to "listen" with the conviction that doing so is a life-saving (or, at least, mood-elevating) endeavor.

In this regard, she is a bit like a no frills Rilke, a less philosophical Annie Dillard or an aerated and slightly less overtly Christ-obsessed Gerard Manley Hopkins. Also, she is a bit like Francis Ponge, especially in her comfort with prose and her love for humble subjects. I absolutely love everyone that I just compared her to and was impressed that she reminded me only of writers I devour and never of ones that I reject.

Her dogged humility somehow makes her leaps of spirit more lovable and open, especially because she has an endearing habit of back peddling, now and then, after particularly bold or poetic comparisons, as if to make sure that her readers remember that she is not taking her words as seriously as she is taking her mission. For instance, "At my feet the white-petaled daisies display the small suns of their center-piece, their--if you don't mind my saying so--their hearts. Of course I could be wrong, perhaps their hearts are pale and narrow and hidden in the roots. What do I know."

Or, for her informality: "I have read probably a hundred narratives where someone saw just what I am seeing. Various things happened next. A fairly long list, I won't go into it." These appearances of a conversational tone ensure that everyone can keep up, they are inclusive and tremendously effective. They also soften the more critical edge of her worldview. Oliver has little time for moping, complaining, sorrowing--little time, in general, for people who turn inward and spurn all of the miracles/joy/beauty that are available for free every day of the year. "The poet with his face in his hands" is an absolute gem in this vein. And for a concluding line, how is "Be ignited, or be gone."?

This volume was enough of a pleasure that I will read more of Oliver (and I would recommend giving this volume to anyone: young people, your grandparents); but as the collection moved further into her past (only as far as the mid 1990s), I did notice that she seemed more rhetorical, a little bit more Christian in language (angels, lord, Alleluia) and a bit less warming and impressive in her lines about sparrow song. We'll see. It doesn't matter how she wrote, because she's clearly turned into a voice of affirmation, encouragement and wonder.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Mary Oliver’s poetry just like that of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.

Oliver’s poetry isn’t for a sweet taste of natural beauty. No, that is a misconception. It is about love of life. It is meant to be be chewed, syllable by syllable. Read it if you don’t believe me.

I can’t distinguish between poems, just like one couldn’t distinguish between children, but since I posted this and it makes my point, here it is: https://twitter.com/exlibrisetc/statu...

[Jocelyn Chin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Dog’s Rhapsody in the Night (p. 56)

He puts his cheek against mine
and makes small, expressive sounds.
And when I’m awake, or awake enough

he turns upside down, his four paws
in the air
and his eyes dark and fervent.

Tell me you love me, he says.

Tell me again.

Could there be a sweeter arrangement? Over and over
he gets to ask it.
I get to tell.


The Storm (p. 117)

Now through the white orchard my little dog
romps, breaking the new snow
with wild feet.
Running here running there, excited,
hardly able to stop, he leaps, he spins
until the white snow is written upon
in large, exuberant letters,
a long sentence, expressing
the pleasures of the body in this world.

Oh, I could not have said it better
myself.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this woman -- the way she thinks, the way she sees the world. The way she teaches us to be attentive: “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.”

and

“I tell you this
to break your heart,
by which I mean only
that it break open and never close again
to the rest of the world.”

~ Mary Oliver, New and Selected Poems, Vol. 2

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been slowly reading this collection since I bought it last summer in need of help being gentle with myself and the world. Mary Oliver is one of my favorite teachers.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Oliver’s poetry never ceases to make me appreciate the world, embrace it, pour all the love in it, and be grateful. It’s a precious gift of hers. This particular selection contains some all-time favorites and newly discovered poems, that touched me deeply. Ohhhhhh 💔 “So it is if the heart has devoted itself to love, there is not a single inch of emptiness. Gladness gleams all the way to the grave”.

[The Cozy Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

January 6, 2025: "Sometimes I think our own lives are watched over like that. Out of the mystery of the hours and the days something says — Let's give this one a little trial. Let's see how her life is measuring up, that lucky girl. So much happiness, so much good fortune. Ah, it's time."


May 29, 2024:
There's this Bible verse, Proverbs 16:24, "Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul, and healthy for the body." and that's how Mary Oliver's poetry is like to me. Life is hard and complicated, good days seem very few, but seeing the world through her eyes for a bit is something I would always cherish and come back to.

"You listen and you know you could live a better life than you do, be softer and kinder. And maybe this year you will be able to do it."

[Book2Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Mary Oliver's poetry more than any other poet or writer. She relays that the world can be hard, but it is still beautiful, and that life can be painful but still is an awesome privilege, and that the mystery of God remains a mystery. She does this by focusing on the minute details of Nature and animals.
Reading her poems, you will be aware of how much you are missing every day by not being present, as she was. (She knew Mindfulness before it was a thing.) Reading her poems, you will feel that you are walking with her in the woods, or sitting by Blackwater Pond.
This is my second read, likely not my last. Treat yourself, especially after these recent events in the world.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably a 3.5 for me. Some of these poems were so so beautiful and life giving. They are like 95% about nature though and as a city girl at heart I couldn’t always relate. I also got a little bogged down by the end. Really appreciated how overall accessible these were though! I don’t know a lot about poetry but I was definitely able to appreciate these with just one or two reads.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this at 7 pm in a Panera on New Year's Eve and it's the best book of poetry I've ever read in my life (you may say, "Of course, it's Mary Oliver" and I say, "Okay, fair.")

[Katie Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

mary oliver makes my soul sing, always has. this collection of her works brings me to a range of different emotions, landscapes, and images. thinking about going on a poetry journey this month … stay tuned xx

[Alanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know enough about poetry to feel like I can be a good reviewer. I only know what I tend to like and dislike and how things make me feel. I like Mary Oliver.

[Hannah Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

“One would say she was a simple woman, made happy by simple things. I think this was true. And more than once, in my long life, I have wished to be her.”

[Katherine]

Mary 💘

[ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are poems that you thought were impossible until you read them. Mary Oliver takes poetry back to its simple original purpose: to celebrate. I am skeptical of nature poetry normally. It seems so "wishy-washy." But this stuff is sturdy, it makes you feel alive, it talks about the world how it really is and it made me remember real-life beauty.

I mean, I think if you wanted to define "beauty" to somebody who never heard of it, one of these poems would be the thing to give them.

[k-os]

"Be ignited, or be gone" (57).

A little one-note, typical Mary Oliver stuff, not more than a handful of new discoveries that wowed me. Still really nice, and the perfect book to take with you on a walk through the woods, a picnic in the park, or a hike up the mountain.

[Nóra Ugron · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Wild sings the bird of the heart in the forests of our lives." p. 36

"Every day, I walk out into the world
to be dazzled, then to be reflective." p. 108

"To sit down, like a weed among weeds, and rustle in the wind." p
142

"Imagination is better than a sharp instrument. To pay attention, this is pur endless and proper work." p. 151

"I began to talk. I talked about the summer, and about time. The pleasures of eating, the terrors of the night. About this cup we call a life." p. 164

"I stroked it,

tenderly, little darling, little dancer,
little pilgrim,
gray pouch slowly
filling with death." p. 168

"There isn’t anything in this world but mad love. Not in this world. No tame love, calm love, mild love, no so-so love. And of course, no reasonable love. Also there are a hundred paths through the world that are easier than loving. But, who wants easier?" p. 173

[shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute gem. Mary Oliver never fails to remind me how beautiful the world can be.

I tell you this to break your heart, by which I mean only that it break open and never close again to the rest of the world.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of poetry was absolutely spectacular. I liked this volume better than volume 1.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every one a gem.

[Beth Cato · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick yet contemplative read. Mary Oliver has an incredible way of infusing the spiritualism of nature into her words.

[madamescarlette · Rating 4 out of 5]

If nobody can warm my over-burdened, oft-shattered heart, Mary always can.

[kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

been reading this on and off for a few years, i love mary oliver so much

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

She loves nature and dogs. She's curious about death and the beyond. She will make you giggle and will make your heart swell and maybe make your eyes leak.

[Rob]

My son walked into my room tonight, complaining that he was sad and he didn't want to go to bed. I have had this collection of poems sitting on the armrest of the sofa for several weeks, unread. I told him he could stay, provided he let me read poems to him. He obliged. We picked the poems randomly. I would flip the pages and he would tell me to stop. I read whatever poem we landed on.

We did this maybe ten times. Each time, the poem was perfect. We read about happiness not being a place on a map, but the result of work, ongoing. We read about life being a blessing, even the life of a bee. We read one poem about Mary Oliver's longtime partner, who, Mary discovered, after 30 years of living together, was a whistler. We are all such deep wells of experience and mystery. There is much sorrow and much difficulty in life, but life is a blessing, full of beauty.

My experience tonight with my seven year old son was not unlike Mary Oliver's partner's whistling. I have known him his entire life, but the fact that he would come in and let me read poetry to him, and that he would be engaged with the words and appreciate the ideas, was a tender blessing.

Perhaps it was a glimpse into the kind of man he will become.

Perhaps it was a one-off.

In either event, it was nice.

[maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Oliver’s poetry is really inspiring and continues to remind me to slow down and look around at the world, and to embrace a slower and more reflective pace. Shoutout to grandma for letting me borrow this book.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't love these sorts of long, "new and selected" collections, but when I heard that Mary Oliver died I thought about how many times I've thought "I should really read her" and never followed through. Besides 'Wild Geese' I had barely read any of her poems, and this was what the library had.

I am SO glad I picked it up. She is a very consistent poet, both in the quality and tone of her poems, and the way she connected to the natural world spoke so clearly to me. It was a joy to work through these poems, and it was especially interesting to note the times that death in various forms came up, which leant a lot of nuance to the few quotes that people had been sharing around in the wake of her passing.

We lost a giant, but I'm so glad that I have so much of her work left to look forward to.

[Roger DeBlanck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Oliver is the astonished, celebratory observer of the natural world. Her poems take in every sight and sound, and she makes sure to absorb nature’s energy, allowing it to pull her into alignment with every bird and deer, every tree and flower, every breeze and rainfall. Her poems are like benedictions and prayers. She is generous in giving back to the world all the love, passion, and wonder it has produced in her. She immerses herself in opportunities to experience joy and know compassion. She announces her admiration and devotion for the existence of all living things, and she yearns to gain the keenest of lessons from the cycles of nature on how to live life to its fullest. Her poems are also like reveries where she confesses her willingness to transform herself into the elemental grandeur and mystery of the natural world. Mary Oliver’s poetry captures an ecstatic relationship with everything around her, and few poets can make life feel so meaningful the way she does.

[Arta · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But mostly I just stand in the dark field,
in the middle of the world, breathing

in and out. Life so far doesn't have any other name
but breath and light, wind and rain."

(What Is There Beyond Knowing)

This volume was not as good as the first one, but still very good. Mary Oliver's poems are inspired by nature. She writes about birds, dogs, trees, sometimes people or a certain sentiment, but somehow I could relate to almost all of them. Her poems are so positive, sometimes bitter-sweet, but they make me feel good or smile. If you're new to poetry, like myself, I would definitely recommend Mary Oliver's poetry. Especially the first volume.

Poems I very much enjoyed:
- Wild, Wild
- What Is There Beyond Knowing
- Patience
- Snow Geese
- Mindful
- Stars
- March

[l · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am amazed by my hate for her poetry!
example:

"They blew in the wind, softly, this way, that way. They were not disappointed when they saw the scissors, rather they brace themselves sweetly and shone with willingness. They were on tall and tender poles, with wheels of leaves. They were soft as the ears of kittens. They felt warm in recognition of the summer day. A dozen was plenty. I held them in my arms. They were silent the way the deepest water is silent. If they wondered where they were going they didn't show it, as they sprinkled freely over my shirt and my hands their precious gold dust."

I don't mean to say that she writes badly, just that I find it nauseating.