LECTURES

Mary Oliver’s poetry, with its lyrical connection to the natural world, has firmly established her in the highest realm of American poets. She is an “indefatigable guide to the natural world,” wrote poet Maxine Kumin in the Women’s Review of Books, “particularly to its lesser-known aspects.” Oliver’s verse focuses on the quiet of occurrences of nature: industrious hummingbirds, egrets, motionless ponds, “lean owls / hunkering with their lamp-eyes.” She is renowned for her evocative and precise imagery, which brings nature into clear focus, transforming the everyday world into a place of magic and discovery. The recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, Oliver continues to influence generations of younger poets.