“Animals praise a good day, a good hunt. They praise rain if they're thirsty. That's prayer. They don't live an unconscious life, they simply have no language to talk about these things. But they are grateful for the good things that come along.”

American poet

Mary Oliver was an American poet whose work reached wide audiences, and who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and the National Book Award in 1992. She is known for poetry shaped by close attention to the natural world. Her writing draws much of its force from nature, solitary walks, and a lasting sense of wonder. It is marked by vivid images, spiritual feeling, and plain language, qualities that made her one of the best-selling poets in American history.