Has the traditional nature poem become obsolete? If so, what has replaced it? We will consider the evolution of how poets respond to the natural world through observation, meditation, witness, and environmental consciousness. From beauty to disaster, complacency to activism, nostalgia to dreams of the future, our readings will encompass early practitioners to poets writing today, including trends in eco- or eco-centric poetry which takes a more critical approach toward humanity’s interaction with the planet. The last two classes (optional) are added at the end of the semester for those who wish to write and workshop their own poems in this genre.

Kate Sontag is co-editor of the essay collection After Confession: Poetry As Autobiography (Graywolf Press). Recipient of the Severy Teaching Award from Ripon College, her poetry has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies and won several prizes. She has taught a variety of poetry classes at OLLI for the last seven years in the Berkshires where she now lives with her husband and two dogs.