Devotions

Pick a poem from the collection and answer these questions: a. What does the language / word choice of this poem seem to say? b. What makes this poem unique / why did it stand out to you? c. What metaphor(s) does Oliver use in this poem? Are they similar to other poems of hers? d. What sensory details do you fnd in this poem: see, touch, taste, smell, hear? e. What does this poem make you feel?

Oliver herself selected the poems for this collection and arranged them. And she choose to do it in reverse chronological order, starting with her most recent work from "Felicity" and ending with her earliest published poetry from "No Voyage and Other Poems." Why do you think she choose this way to present her work to the world?

As you read through the book, what did you discover about Oliver’s voice as we travelled back in time through her poetry? Was it consistent? Did it change? Did it seem to mirror her life events or not? Did it focus on different subjects? Did it change tone or feel less or more urgent? What stuck out to you as you read?

On page 10, we fnd the poem, "That Little Beast," a poem about writing a poem. What contradictions does Oliver present here in what she wants vs. what the poem wants? Does your own art do the same to you?