Many Miles: Mary Oliver reads Mary Oliver

by Mary Oliver

Following the success of At Blackwater Pond , this second CD from best-selling poet Mary Oliver contains a selection of thirty-seven previously published poems and four as yet uncollected, read by the poet in her steady, magnetic voice. Oliver recites from the full range of her poetry-from her classic nature writing, to her verses for her mischievous bichon Percy, to her ever-deepening spiritual poems. The CD comes in a handsome full-cloth package that includes a booklet with an introductory essay by the poet on the magical dynamic between speaker and listener, a table of contents, text of the title poem, and a photo of the poet. Many Miles will be a most welcome addition to the collections of her readers.

Genres: Poetry, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Nature, 21st Century

2 pages, Audio CD

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

Mary Jane Oliver 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.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of Mary Oliver's poetry will like this collection which includes poetry with themes on the beauty and fragility of life.

[Salem ☥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"[...] his yellow eyes and broad wings wearing the light of the world in the world - ah yes, I see him. He is exactly the poem I wanted to write."

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime and superb.

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always love reading and/or listening to Mary Oliver and her poetry. Many Miles: Mary Oliver reads Mary Oliver is a great addition to the Oliver canon.

A favorite telling snippet from one of the poems: "To pay attention. This is our endless and proper work."

Her use of everyday language creates approachable poetry and increases my fondness for her with each read and re-read. Much recommended to hear the poet read her work.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t flowers put on their
Prettiness each spring and
Go to it with
Everything they’ve got? Who
Would criticize the bed of
Yellow tulips or the blue
Hyacinths?
So put a
Bracelet on your
Ankle with a
Bell on it and make a
Little music for
The earth beneath your foot, or
Wear a hat with hot-colored
Ribbons for the
Pleasure of the
Leaves and the clouds, or at least
A ring with a gleaming
Stone for your finger; yesterday
I watched a mother choose
Exquisite ear-ornaments for someone
Beloved, in the spring
Of her life; they were
For her for sure, but also it seemed
A promise, a love message, a commitment
To all girls, and boys too, so
Beautiful and hopeful in this hard world
And young.

-The Poet Comments on Yet Another Approaching Spring

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

My job is to love the world.
To pay attention: this is our endless and proper work.

Oh, have I fallen in love at first read with Mary Oliver? Yes, I have.

Even if her poetry is what I usually would think of as too focused on the natural world for my own liking, there is so much wisdom I have found in it. Contrary to my former opinions, Mary Oliver doesn't neglect the real world when she chooses to focus on nature. Listening to her reading her poems, I have realised what makes a good writer (or poet) is what is inside. That is essential. Her understanding and awareness of the world has delighted me. I aspire to mature and grow into an awareness so subtle and sweet that others can marvel in it, too, through my writing.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any collection that includes Percy, read by Oliver, is gonna’ be a 5🌟 for me. 😂

Seriously, though, this was a 45 minute listen that will stay with me for a long time. Wrangling that 4th horse and sharing blueberries with a deer in a field? Just beautiful. ❤️

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing like hearing a poet read her own poetry. This is a great collection. The only thing I miss by listening, is not being able to linger over a line of a poem.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Balm for my soul. Thank you Mary Oliver, wherever you are. I will forever think of you when I'm among the trees.

[Tom Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sounds of the Birds and Insects and the motion of the Trees

Listening to Oliver’s visions if only for a few moments confirms that there is so much beauty in the Natural World if only we stop to feel it.

[Hadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

in my poetry era!

[Melissa S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this in audio format to meet a read Harder category, but I'm really glad I did. These poems are all just beautiful. I listened to the CD a couple of times, but I wish I'd had a hard copy in front of me to read along. If nothing else, it's inspired me to read more of her poetry.

[رضوى منصور · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doesn't Every Poet Write a Poem About Unrequited Love?

"The flowers
I wanted to bring to you,
wild and wet
from the pale dunes

and still smelling
of the summer night
and still holding a moment or two
of the night crickets

humble prayer,
would have been
so handsome
in your hands--

so happy--I dare to say it--
in your hands--
yet your smile
would have been nowhere

and maybe you would have tossed them
onto the ground,
or maybe, for tenderness,
you would have taken them

into your house
and given them water
and put them in a dark corner
out of reach.

In matters of love
of this kind
there are things we long to do
but must not do.

I would not want to see
your smile diminished.
And the flowers, anyway,
are happy just where they are,

on the pale dunes,
above the cricket's humble nest,
under the blue sky
that loves us all".

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

50 billion stars please

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is copies from the review for the other Mary Oliver CD I listened to.

For some reason, poetry isn't my thing. I have tried a number of time to get into an author, but if it don't rhyme, I can't seem to give it the time. (See what I did there). I like music and some poets, but they usually rhyme. Even more strange, I don't like to give greeting cards that rhyme. Too sing-song. And rap music is just 7th grade English all over again. Needless to say, I like to hear Mary Oliver tell her short tales, but I didn't see them as poetry. Just short conversations. I listened to 2 of her CDs, so I'll probably cut and paste this comment to the next one.

[Julie Jordan Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't imagine myself NOT being deeply in love with anything Mary Oliver produced, but to actually have her read to me as I recover from illness is indeed more joy than I can contain. My only critique is there weren't longer pauses between poems.

Once I adjusted my listening to that, all was well.

I loved hearing a favorite: Messenger, from "Thirst" which is one of my favorite three poems ever.

Her reading of "When I am Among the Trees" led me to my copy of "Devotions" where I found the poem and read it again with the audio paused. I read it again and again and cried again and again.

[enyanyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope this is my year of reading more Mary Oliver. I felt like I was walking through the woods as I listened to this: sun seeping through the canopy, my feet crunching on the grounds beneath me, my lungs inhaling the trees.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another superior experience. I need to get my own copies somehow so that when the zombies or ChatGPT take over and the Internet fails and we're all pooping in the grass again I can at least listen to Mary Oliver read her poetry to me.

[Rheanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetry isn’t always my favorite, but these were just comfortable and chill. Didn’t fall in love with it, but I’ll keep giving it a try. Reading it after Brene Brown….it didn’t stand a chance - whoops!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio. Mary Oliver writes so well— most of these captured moments are lyrical thoughts jotted down. Some are poetic and lovely and others are “normal” life moments..and yet, lovely as she narrates them herself.

[Launchingstars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for the heart

[Manan Sheel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Oliver, a poet of the west, has touched eastern sweetness...:) :)

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

[Sharron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection but it didn’t engage me as “Dog Songs” did.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful nature-related poetry

[Jared F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime

[Anne Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite poet reading some of her favorite poems. And, delight of all delights, a few of them I haven't read before so they were new to me. Love this.

[EA · Rating 5 out of 5]

pretty magical to hear her read her own poetry

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely hearing it read by the author

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

At some point I will have read everything Mary Oliver has written and I don't know what I'll do after that