West wind

poems and prose poems

63 pages

English language

Published June 9, 1997 by Houghton Mifflin.

ISBN:
978-0-395-85082-4
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OCLC Number:
36446775

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4 stars (1 review)

In this stunning collection of 40 poems, Mary Oliver writes of nature and love, of the way they transform over time, and of the way they remain constant.

3 editions

Review of 'West Wind' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The majority of these poems are drawn from living in the natural world, its creatures, weather, trees and streams. A few feature a companion animal or a person, and I think I spotted one which alluded to the behavior of people in society. Every one takes on its individual form, not usually formal. There are prose poems but these are if anything more restrained than the others, as though the naturalness of prose needed to be kept. But I always feel a sort of mystery surrounding her words, whether sharp or placid.

The ones that spoke to me the most were "Stars," "Maples," and "Rain, Tree, Thunder and Lightning." Maybe I have a prejudice against the ones which feature animals? or maybe it is because these are closest to the kind of poetry I spend the most time with.