Young Mary Oliver spent all the time she could outdoors noticing natural wonders like alluring birdsong, velvety leaves, and glittering beams of sunlight. There were treasures all around if you paid attention. Eventually, she began writing about those treasures, filling up stacks of notebooks and capturing the world around her. There were always poems if you paid attention.

As Mary grew up and gained acclaim for her poetry, some critics said her poems were too simple, too ordinary. But Mary believed poems were for everyone. So she wrapped herself in woods and in woods, and kept on searching for what else and where else a poem might be...