But here is also in the beginning an opportunity, if recognized and appreciated, to feed a curiosity not so simply extracted from the simplicity of the poems themselves: Can this book be read as “human songs” as well? The answer is a resounding, inarguable Yes. By “Luke,” Dog Songs has found itself and is suddenly prepared to turn over the power of its content. A truly lovely poem likely to stir an attentive reader into identifying a shift in the collection, Oliver writes: It is easy to become distant from the personhood of nature. Our society encourages it in every way possible. The exception is our pets, on whom we lavish special attention, meanwhile participating in the systematic destruction of the nature and the world’s last wild places.

I am often disappointed, because how often can true connection occur? Mary enjoys writing about the small parts of life - nature is a frequent theme, and in this collection, it's dogs. She loves dogs. I love the last line of this poem. It reminds us of the humanity not only of dogs, but of all of nature.As in all of her poetry, Oliver patiently shows us how to slow, observe, withdraw, and speak the language of the senses. I have seen Ben place his nose meticulously into the shallow dampness of a deer's hoofprint and shut his eyes as if listening. But it is the smell he is listening to. The wild, high music of smell, that we know so little about.

Mary Jane Oliver (September 10, 1935 – January 17, 2019) 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. It is characterized by a sincere wonderment at the impact of natural imagery, conveyed in unadorned language. In 2007, she was declared to be the country's best-selling poet. Bond, Diane. "The Language of Nature in the Poetry of Mary Oliver." Womens Studies 21:1 (1992), p.1. Neary, Lynn (January 17, 2019). "Beloved Poet Mary Oliver Who Believed Poetry Mustn't Be Fancy Dies at 83". NPR . Retrieved January 20, 2019.The transition from engaging the natural world to engaging more personal realms was also evident in New and Selected Poems (1992), which won the National Book Award . The volume contains poems from eight of Oliver’s previous volumes as well as previously unpublished, newer work. Susan Salter Reynolds, in the Los Angeles Times Book Review, noticed that Oliver’s earliest poems were almost always oriented toward nature, but they seldom examined the self and were almost never personal. In contrast, Oliver appeared constantly in her later works. But as Reynolds noted “this self-consciousness is a rich and graceful addition.” Just as the contributor for Publishers Weekly called particular attention to the pervasive tone of amazement with regard to things seen in Oliver’s work, Reynolds found Oliver’s writings to have a “Blake-eyed revelatory quality.” Oliver summed up her desire for amazement in her poem “When Death Comes” from New and Selected Poems:“When it’s over, I want to say: all my life / I was a bride married to amazement. / I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.” This Sunday, I am attending a memorial for River—my best friend’s dog, soulmate, of eight years, my god-dog and best friend of just one. She passed unexpectedly one month ago, and I have not stopped thinking of her since.

My one disappointment concerns the thesis of Oliver’s essay, “Dog Talk.” It is a thesis I must take issue with, for Oliver does not simply express her joy at the sight of “ dogs without leashes” (5). She scorns leashed dogs in language that saddens me to read. I love dogs too, and know my aging beagle is not going to be around much longer (we feel like we're counting months instead of years by now.) But do you know those people who entertain themselves by saying out loud what they think their dogs are thinking? That's kind of how these poems feel to me. A little too precious. It was pastoral, it was nice, it was an extended family. I don't know why I felt such an affinity with the natural world except that it was available to me, that's the first thing. It was right there. And for whatever reasons, I felt those first important connections, those first experiences being made with the natural world rather than with the social world." [2] The book is also beautifully illustrated by John Burgoyne. There are eleven illustrations and they are more than just decorations. They complement the poems and are integral to the pleasure of reading the book. I only wish there were more. Tippett, Krista (February 5, 2015). "Mary Oliver — Listening to the World". On Being. Archived from the original on November 11, 2016 . Retrieved September 6, 2020.The Husky mix, once a stray, adopted by dear friends. All it took was a prescription for his Mange, a few hearty meals, and a whole lot of love to turn that shy scruffy street dog into a fun and friendly party animal. He taught me that it was rude to offer a pizza crust with no cheese on it. The collection invites us to linger awhile in the pure happiness Oliver feels toward dogs, most notably, her beloved dog Percy . . . For Oliver, nature is our teacher and dogs some of the best professors.”— Bookish, The Houston Chronicle