In October 1973, the OPEC oil embargo against Western nations supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur War triggered fuel shortages, soaring prices, and a global recession. Governments imposed speed limits, introduced daylight-saving changes, and rationed petrol, exposing the industrial world's dependence on fossil fuels. The crisis entered the cultural imagination powerfully, prompting poets and writers to confront themes of scarcity, geopolitical vulnerability, and the environmental cost of energy consumption.

The oil crisis of 1973 reflected themes of resource scarcity and environmental awareness in poetry. Poets like Adrienne Rich began to explore the implications of energy consumption and ecological responsibility, urging a reconsideration of humanity's relationship with nature.