Nature Poetry Stirs the Soul

There's a lot of stigma attached to poetry. For many, the word poetry evokes memories of being forced to recite poems or delve into complex meanings. But there's something to be said for taking the time to appreciate art forms. Poets seem to have a special way of showing us the world—because as French poet Jean Cocteau once wrote, "The poet doesn't invent. He listens."

Why the focus on poetry? April is National Poetry Month and that gives us all a great opportunity to take some inspiration from the world's best poets who write about nature.

English poet John Clare (1793-1864) is among the finest English nature poets. Clare's observations of nature are detailed, sometimes fanciful, and often quite simple, but the overall effect of the verse is stunning. "The Skylark," published in The Rural Muse in 1835, is perhaps Clare's best-known poem. The cadence of the poem flutters up, quickly changes direction in tone, and then moves back into a flutter, mimicking the flight of its namesake.

Fellow Englishmen William Wordsworth (1770-1850) and Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) are a wonderful source of nature-infused poetry. Romantic poets, their work presented an idealized view of nature. For Wordsworth, elements in nature were noble, and nature was an essential part of a person's development, both in terms of religion and knowledge. "The World Is Too Much With Us" and "London, 1802" equate city living with moral corruption, and blame this reality on the separation from nature. They equate an agrarian past with a better time when man and nature worked hand-in-hand. Coleridge also explored how nature and humanity are linked, and he sought God in nature. "Frost at Midnight" also contrasts city and country, and it's a personal reflection on the relationships between nature and imagination, nature and childhood, and adult memory.

Many American poets have also explored themes of nature and humanity. Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), author of Walden (a book about a solitary life lived in the woods), often explored themes related to nature in his poetry. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) and Walt Whitman (1819-1892) also explored themes of nature, as did many other American poets.

A contemporary of Thoreau, Emerson and Whitman, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), an eccentric and reclusive American poet, often wrote about nature as mystery, as something that can't really fully be comprehended. In "A bird came down the walk" is a little vignette about a bird and a person trying to offer a bird crumbs. Dickinson layers a sense of wildness with refinement, then adds in cautiousness and the potential for danger, followed by flight. It's a scene that is undoubtedly played out countless times throughout the world, but her observations are acute and, well, poetic.

Bridging the gap between modern and contemporary nature poets, Robert Frost (1874-1963) is famous for his poems about rural life and nature. In "Nothing Gold Can Stay," Frost packed a wealth of meaning into just 8 lines, touching on beauty, melancholy, and the simple truth that nothing stays the same.

Many years later, Mary Oliver (b. 1835) emerged as a neo-Romantic poet, exploring an intimate relationship with nature in her poetry. There's a sense of peace and solitude in Oliver's lyrical verse, and she continues to write today, publishing a new volume every year or two.

Many poets working today are using their craft as a vehicle for their views on environmental and social issues, and Di Brandt (b. 1952), a Canadian poet, is a classic example. Known for activist/feminist poetry, Brandt's 2002 volume, Now You Care, explores new territory, with passionate commentary on environmental damage, corporatism, and national sovereignty.

I could go on and on about the many poets who write about nature (and even environmental issues), but it's much more fun to read and explore for yourself. Any of the above-mentioned writers are a great starting point for wiling away a rainy April afternoon with a book of poetry. Happy reading!

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