The Portrayal of Land

The Effects of Climate Change in Poetry

Abstract

The focus of this article is to demonstrate how the theme of Land is portrayed in poetry written about the effects of climate change. This article will focus on Land and the idea of Land as ‘home’ despite the endured abuse overtime. Looking at the effects of climate change, the poems this article will analyse are that of Sylvia Stults, Matthew Olzmann and Joshua Isham.  The poems ‘Warned’1 and ‘Awareness About Our Environment’2 by Sylvia Stults place a major focus on the idea that we, as a society, have been told about how climate change is affecting our land, yet we act selfishly and continue to abuse our environment. This can also be said for the poem ‘Our Mother Nature’3 by Joshua Isham, which looks at the close relationship humans have with the earth and nature and how we take it for granted, therefore making the land inhabitable for future generations.  ‘Letter to Someone Living Fifty Years from Now’ 4by Matthew Olzmann further highlights how the future generations will not live as rich as a life as we have, as much of the nature that we have experienced won’t be there anymore due to our carelessness and irreversible damage. This raises the point that if we can’t take responsibility, we will lose the greatness of our world forever. This article will look at the relationship between the land and humans, the pollution that is occurring, and the effect it will have on future generations.