When the poet Mary Oliver died last week at the age of 83, my social media feeds blossomed into a field of tributes. I was a bit surprised, especially by the posts from some academic poets, because Mary Oliver's work is simple (at first glance), accessible and bestselling, the antithesis of much poetry written by those affiliated with universities.
Yet I saw my peers quote from “The Summer Day,” which ends, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do/ with your one wild and precious life?” Others hedged their remembrances, saying, “I know some of you don't like her poetry, but she was important to me because…”
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