Chaitén volcano in southern Chile erupted in May 2008 after nine millennia of dormancy, forcing the evacuation of the town of Chaitén and surrounding areas. The eruption produced ash plumes that drifted across South America, affecting air travel and agriculture in Argentina and beyond. Approximately 4,500 people were evacuated, though no fatalities occurred directly from the eruption.

The Chaitén eruption influenced Chilean contemporary poetry addressing environmental change, displacement, and the unexpected awakening of dormant natural forces. Chilean poets like Raúl Zurita and Carmen Berenguer have explored volcanic imagery in works reflecting on Chile's geological volatility and political history, connecting natural catastrophe to broader themes of memory, trauma, and resilience in Latin American literary traditions.