health
The High Priestess of the Ordinary
Committed anxious types like me rarely find a poem opening as enticing as this one from the late Mary Oliver:
TL;DR
- Mary Oliver's poetry is widely shared on social media and merchandise, offering accessible wisdom on topics like worry, aging, and living a "wild and precious life."
- Her popularity has led to a debate about whether her accessible style earns her critical adulation, with some critics finding her work "embarrassing" or "depthless."
- Oliver's life was marked by struggle, including a difficult childhood and a long path to recognition, but her work remained personal and focused on nature without being self-obsessed.
- Key themes in her poetry include earthy imagery, finding grace in simple moments, and the importance of "attention" as the "beginning of devotion."
- Critics question the ease with which Oliver suggests giving up worry and the definition of "goodness" in her work, though lines like "I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world" resonate universally.
- Her friends and admirers argue that Oliver's wisdom was hard-earned and her work represents a rebellion against life's pressures, encouraging readers to reconnect with how they want to live.