Poetry and the Environment
Zoom – 10:30 am – Noon
March 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9, 16
Who doesn’t love a poem about the deep woods, or lovely fields, or the wide ocean? When we think of poems about nature, we often leap back to the beautiful rural landscapes of the Romantic poets. Yet contemporary poets tend to write about nature more broadly than their predecessors. We examine how poets serve as witnesses to climate change and the complicated connections between and among people and fellow creatures and nature. The poems are both tragic and hopeful, capturing the beauty of our world and our yearning to preserve it. No prior experience with poetry is required, and we encourage you to share your impressions. Poets may include: W.S. Merwin, William Matthews, Yusef Komunyakaa, Gregory Orr, Mona Van Duyn, Maxine Kumin, Joy Harjo, Wendell Berry or William Stafford.
Sandy Soson has a BA in English from the University of Michigan and an MA from Wesleyan University. She has taught high school English for her entire professional career. In recent years she has run the Poetry Out Loud program for local high school students, facilitated writing workshops for adults, taught ESOL as a Literacy Volunteer, as well as taken and taught courses at Lifetime Learners. She is passionate about poetry and enjoys sharing her love of poetry with others.