One tree is like another tree, but not too much. One tulip is like the next tulip, but not altogether. More or less like people - a general outline, then the stunning individual strokes.
-- Mary Oliver (chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: This is the first line of the book, introducing Oliver’s occupation with nature. It also reflects her viewpoint that people are part of nature, and nature is a part of people. The reader sees her admiration for the beauty in the world.

The moth and the fisheggs are in their place, The suns I see and the suns I cannot see are in their place, The palpable is in its place and the impalpable is in its place.
-- Mary Oliver (chapter 2 paragraph 1)

Importance: This is an excerpt from Oliver’s poetry, its mood is comforting and its argument thought-provoking, like much of her writing. She evokes the sensational experience inside the reader rather than trying to demonstrate it within the...