Blending of the Human and the Non-Human in the Poems of Seamus Heaney and Alice Oswald: An Ecological Perspective

Abstract

This paper examines the complex interplay between the human and non-human world in the poetry of Seamus Heaney and Alice Oswald through an ecological lens. A close reading of Oswald's inventive approach to nature poetry and Heaney's close ties to the Irish landscape, shows how both writers transcend conventional lines between the human and non-human realms. Heaney's works frequently depicts a symbiotic relationship with nature, in which the natural world has a significant influence on how humans define their earthly existence. Oswald's poetry, on the other hand, emphasizes the agency and autonomy of the natural world while negating human-centric viewpoints. This paper examines how the poets employ themes, and poetic techniques, to communicate ecological interdependence and the ethical implications of this interconnection through close readings of a few select poems. The study emphasizes the significance of literary viewpoints in tackling environmental concerns and advances our understanding of ecological consciousness in contemporary poetry by the two prominent poets of the British Isles. Analyzing the poems as samples of Eco poetry would provide an insight into how poetry becomes an agent of creating ecoconsciousness.