Vinita Agarwal
Together/the weather/is a language we can barely understand;
but confessional experts detect/in the senseless diktat of hurricane
a hymning of our sins, our stupid counterpoint.– From A Language of Change by David Sergeant
Introduction
They say that poetry changes nothing. I guess that’s true only with non-living things. Otherwise, the plant would not have withered when slammed with slang. But it did. The effect of abuse on plants was conducted by Dorothy Retallack in the 1970s. She conducted an experiment at the Denver College of Music, where she exposed plants to different types of music and verbal treatment. In one part of the experiment, plants were exposed to negative, harsh speech and they withered or showed poor growth. Conversely, plants exposed to positive, nurturing speech thrived and grew better. The point being sparked through this example, is that like plants, society can respond to the message driven through poetry. Poetry is not written in vain. The slot of eco poetry in particular, is a befitting carrier of human emotions and verbal interactions and designed to sensitise readers towards a less human-centric existence.
Climate change is real, and it does have a psychological impact on people whose moods inform creative expression in many ways. Eco poetry is filled with a nervous energy that makes climate change feel personal. Eco poetry “listens to science”. Because of this reason, it is not just one of warning, but also of optimism and action and hope. Capitalists and colonialists are defined by the exact opposite – they stayed focused on material gains and profits and completely ignored the logic of science and values of nature.
Eco-poetry is a form of poetry that explores the relationship between humans and the natural world, often addressing themes of environmental awareness, ecological balance, and the impact of human activity on nature. It combines literary artistry with ecological consciousness to reflect on the interconnectedness of all living beings and the environment.
So how should we administer poetry to take charge of this grim environmental condition that is endangering our future generations? To begin a change, we must first initiate it and embody it. Can we then, as poets, collectively work to farm a deeper consciousness amongst ourselves, amongst our friends and colleagues and society at large? Can we reject the rigidity that an agenda-driven poem is not a poem enough? Can we also retain the dignity of language customary to literary practice? The answer to all these questions is, we can.
At its most innocent, eco poetry is a celebration of nature. Mary Oliver’s poems are like that. They offer a vivid imagery of the natural world and reverence for its beauty. By capturing the intricate details of flora, fauna, and ecosystems, Oliver invites readers to appreciate and connect with the environment.
Ruth Padel, a direct descendent of the famous Naturalist, Charles Darwin and a prolific poet, has written several poems on Water. The poems are a stepping stone to lyrical reflections on the human condition. She exposes the shocking ways in which water – in the form of from all kinds of sources, especially river and ground water is exhausted in the process of extracting aluminium. A significant portion of eco poetry critiques the negative consequences of human activity, such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change. Such poems serve as a call to action, urging readers to reflect on their role in the ecological crisis. Eco poets frequently use their work as a form of activism, raising awareness about environmental issues and advocating for ecological justice. These poems inspire collective action and a reevaluation of humanity’s relationship with nature.\
Water Wars
Do you know where you are in the Milky Way?
Look for the spun bud of the whirlpool,
the last struggle of the water butterfly
in toxic red mud: all that is left
of your river when they extract
the aluminium
which will connect
your SIM card with the world.
From I am the Tragic Mask by Ruth Padel
Climate poetry has not spared even love and romance, that tender genre of poetry teeming with roses of words for the beloved. Here’s an example of a love poem with an eco slant. The poem reimagines both love and the act of professing it through the language of landscape and climate change
…
I love you without knowing how, or when, the world will end—
I love you naturally without pesticides or pills—
I love you like this because we won’t survive any other way,
except in this form in which humans and nature are kin,
so close that your emissions of carbon are mine,
so close that your sea rises with my heat.
From Love Poems in the Time of Climate Change by Craig Santos Perez
Not all eco poems are about love, of course. Some, like ‘Pelt’, chill you to the bone. ‘Pelt’ is the first poem from Michael Symmons Roberts’s 2004 collection Corpus. Roberts is Professor of Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University and has been described as a religious poet for a secular age.
Pelt
I found the world’s pelt
nailed to the picture-rail
of a box-room in a cheap hotel.
So that’s why rivers dry to scabs,
that’s why the grass weeps every dawn,
that’s why the wind feels raw:
the earth’s an open wound,
and here, its skin hangs
like a trophy, atrophied beyond all
taxidermy, shrunk into a hearth rug.
Who fleeced it?
…
Margaret Atwood’s poem ‘The Moment’ is a particularly memorable one. It is a poem that explores the relationship between man and nature, about humans and the world in which they live. The poem is not about climate change per se but about the core issue at the heart of climate change – attitude. Attitude towards nature, the sense of ownership humans display towards earth’s bounties. If we stop our excessive exploitation of nature, if we shed this feeling of ownership then perhaps we will conserve and preserve nature the way it was meant to be preserved.
The Moment
by Margaret Atwood
The moment when, after many years
of hard work and a long voyage
you stand in the centre of your room,
house, half-acre, square mile, island, country,
knowing at last how you got there,
and say, I own this,
is the same moment when the trees unloose
their soft arms from around you,
the birds take back their language,
the cliffs fissure and collapse,
the air moves back from you like a wave
and you can't breathe.
No, they whisper. You own nothing.
You were a visitor, time after time
climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.
We never belonged to you.
You never found us.
It was always the other way round.
Keki Daruwalla’s poem ‘Of Ledges and Moss’ is a richly layered and psychologically textured Eco poem. It explores the themes of loss, violence, perception and humanity’s connection to nature. His reference to ‘birdlessness’ is not just an ecological loss but also a spiritual suffocation and suggests a profound intertwining of the natural world with human identity and emotional well being. Though Daruwalla was not an out and out eco poet, he wrote several collections on existential themes and also on identity, this particular poem, seems to stem from the depth of his consciousness and raises the bar of eco poetry.
Just because I haven’t
pulled out a pad of moss
from some rocky ledge,
doesn’t mean I do not hear
the rip and tear of rending.
Just because I do not shoot
quail or partridge it doesn’t mean
this birdlessness travelling towards me
like a visible void,
does not smother me.
Nature’s empire is not confined
to forest and savannah.
The soul is also one of its habitats.
The poem serves as a meditation on how humanity is both a part of and a threat to nature. It suggests that the destruction of the natural world is not just an ecological tragedy but a spiritual one, as it erodes something fundamental within the human soul. By drawing attention to what is absent—guns, birds, moss—the poem challenges the reader to confront their complicity in this loss and to rediscover their connection to the natural world.
There are several other poems that address various themes of ecology – deforestation, floods, pollution, plastic wastes, species extinction and so many more. But to mention them all here is beyond the scope of this essay. Suffice to say, that they all look upon nature as sacred and protest against materialism. Contemporary eco poetry often addresses climate change, imagining both the dystopian consequences of inaction and the possibilities for a sustainable future. Ecopoetics as a genre, grapples with loss, resilience and hope. Finally, eco poetry highlights the resilience of nature and humanity, offering hope amidst ecological challenges. These poems remind readers of the enduring power of the natural world and the potential for regeneration. For example, Joy Harjo’s “Remember” encourages a profound connection to the Earth: “Remember the earth whose skin you are: red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth brown earth, we are earth.” Harjo’s work emphasises humanity’s responsibility to honour and protect the planet, drawing on Indigenous perspectives that view the Earth as a living, sacred entity.
Eco poetry bridges the gap between art and activism, offering a powerful medium to explore the beauty, fragility, and resilience of the natural world. Through celebration, critique, and reflection, eco poets challenge readers to reconsider their relationship with the Earth and inspire action toward a more sustainable future. By engaging with eco poetry, we not only deepen our appreciation for the environment but also recognise the urgency of preserving it. Such poetry, amplifies climate advocacy – the kind that our young environment activists are fighting for on the streets. Indeed eco poetry is meant to wake people up, have them engaged, and begin to embark on a journey, no matter how small it is. Maybe someone who has never thought not to take a bag at a grocery store will do that. Maybe someone will write a letter to the editor about a piece of legislation. Perhaps someone will be inspired to go to the next Climate March.
Eco-poetry holds an earnest significance in today’s world as it serves as both a mirror and a call to action in the face of environmental crises. Through vivid imagery, emotional resonance, and deep philosophical reflection, it bridges the gap between human experience and the natural world, fostering a sense of interconnectedness and responsibility. In an age of climate change, habitat destruction, and biodiversity loss, eco-poetry becomes a vital tool for raising awareness, challenging complacency, and inspiring sustainable change. By blending art with advocacy, it invites readers to reimagine their relationship with nature—not as masters, but as stewards—reminding us that the health of the planet is inextricably linked to the health of our own souls.