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Ecopoem

Genre
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Poetry focused on environmental themes and natural relationships

Detailed Definition
An Ecopoem engages directly with ecological themes—biodiversity, climate change, human-nature relations—using lyrical form to advocate for environmental awareness and ethical responsibility; moving beyond pastoral idealism, ecopoems often employ scientific diction, place-based observation, and non-human perspectives, as in the work of Mary Oliver, Wendell Berry, or Juliana Spahr, blending aesthetic beauty with activist urgency.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ecopoem: "Mary Oliver’s 'Wild Geese'—invitation to natural belonging"; "Gary Snyder’s mountain poems—Zen ecology"; "Contemporary: 'The river runs brown with regret'"; "Form mimics ecosystem—interconnected lines"; "Human and non-human voices in chorus"
Additional Notes
Contemporary poetry engaging environmental themes, nature interconnections, and ecological crisis. More activist than traditional nature poetry. Related to pastoral but often challenges pastoral idealization. Study contemporary poets addressing climate change.
Also Known As
Environmental poetry green poetry
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