"The popularity of [Dog Songs] feels as inevitable and welcome as
a wagging tail upon homecoming." --The Boston Globe
Mary Oliver's Dog Songs is a celebration of the special bond between
human and dog, as understood through the poet's relationships to the
canines that have accompanied her daily walks, warmed her home, and
inspired her work. Oliver's poems begin in the small everyday moments
familiar to all dog lovers, but through her extraordinary vision, these
observations become higher meditations on the world and our place in it.
Dog Songs includes visits with old friends, like Oliver's beloved
Percy, and introduces still others in poems of love and laughter,
heartbreak and grief. Throughout, the many dogs of Oliver's life merge
as fellow travelers and as guides, uniquely able to open our eyes to the
lessons of the moment and the joys of nature and connection.