A fine book of poems and prose poems to savor. Compared to later works, some of the poems are longer and broken into short chapters/sections. As with much of her work, Oliver continues to celebrate the natural world and her place within it. Several of the poems highlight the tension between doing/living and reading/writing as extreme points on a continuum, with Nature repeatedly beckoning her (and us) to join the world in its beauty and mutability.

Especially poignant, and perhaps relevant to these times of recession, is her poem "On Losing a House." ( )

In this volume poems and prose poems Oliver continues with her lovely way of helping us find hidden meaning in the small things and actions observed in nature. Her descriptions always bring vivid pictures to the mind of the reader. Another theme that I have found in the books that I have read by her is the idea of death as part of life in nature—never heavy handed or too frequent, but always occasionally bringing us back from the idyll to the reality of the natural order. In this volume this feeling is intensified and the theme of death and what comes after (and what went before) is recurring throughout. Another surprise is there are religious overtones in many of the poems and as I read I kept thinking that perhaps Mary Oliver had something happen that made her acutely aware of her mortality. About two thirds through the volume is a deeply felt long poem about her dog Luke called “Her Grave Again.” This book has added another dimension to her work and made it more personal and revelatory of herself. This is a wonderful collection to read and ponder and relate to. ( )

A great book of quiet poetry. "Luminous" is a great word to describe the volume. Poems of note: Raven with Crows, Heron Rises from the Dark, Summer Pond, The Lark, & Snowy Night (All poems about birds, interesting.) ( )