A Thousand Mornings
by Mary Oliver
Genres: PoetryPages: 82
Rating:
Synopsis:Whether studying the leaves of a tree or mourning her treasured dog Percy, Mary Oliver is beautifully open to the teachings contained within the smallest of moments. In A Thousand Mornings she explores, with startling clarity, humour and kindness, the mysteries of our daily experience.
I think A Thousand Mornings is my least favourite of Mary Oliver’s collections that I’ve read so far. It retains that strong sense of joy and wonder in the world that I enjoy about her work, so there’s that, but I didn’t connect with the individual poems as strongly as I’d hoped to.
I think… partly it felt too short? With a few more poems, a bit more chance to get my teeth into it, maybe I’d have gelled with it better? But it’s hard to say; you can only go on what’s there, and it didn’t sing to me the way I’d hoped.
I do love her work so much in general, though. The sense of love and joy in the whole world is palpable, and always enjoyable; she had such a gift for joy.
Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)
Maybe you are too young to appreciate this one?
https://wordsandpeace.com/2026/09/13/sunday-post-166-books-and-more-sudoku/
What makes you say that?
HarpGriffin recently posted…A book with rhyming in the title
As you see in my review, I highlighted her life wisdom here, as she gets up in age. I didn’t like it as much when I read it about ten years ago
You mentioned ageing in that review, but the bulk of the review is about Oliver’s religious themes, and doesn’t say anything about your changed feelings about the collection in relation to your own ageing.
HarpGriffin recently posted…A book with rhyming in the title
I don’t consider myself a poetry reader but I see how beloved Mary Oliver is and I get curious every time. I guess if the time ever comes for me to try her works I won’t start here then.
Definitely not my favourite! I loved Felicity and Blue Houses, though.