Dog Songs by Mary Oliver
Release Date: October 2013


Amazon Page
Goodreads entry

If you've ever loved a dog, then Pulitzer-winning poet Mary Oliver knows how you feel. In this slim book, she assembles 35 poems and a short essay enumerating the many wonders and benefits of being friends with a dog. Common themes include living in the present, and feeling the simple joys of friendship. The book is filled with beautiful, lifelike pen-and-ink illustrations by John Burgoyne.

I grinned my way through this book, and reached out to pet my Westie every ten pages or so. As a dog owner, I recognized many of Oliver's feelings: the wonder at the simple happiness of dogs, and the gratitude for the constancy of a dog's affections. Oliver is especially passionate about her rescue dog experiences, and her most beautiful poems are about them.

This collection is not as challenging as I had expected it to be. When I hear "Pulitzer winning poet," I kind of expect mental gymnastics. I expect to be tired after a few pages. This book was not exhausting at all! I read it in three sittings, and I could have easily read it in one if there was no such thing as laundry. Although many of the poems have a subtext, Mary Oliver is not playing hide-and-seek with you. You can figure out what she means on both levels without straining yourself. This was a light, enjoyable read.

I would recommend this book to people who like dogs and are interested in pondering the human/canine relationship a bit. It might also interest people who just want to see one of America's preeminent poets write simply about something she loves.