American ecopoetry – a new subgenre of traditional nature poetry

American ecological poetry is a relatively recent literary phenomenon that has marked its existence within the tradition of nature poetry. It is represented by such poets as Robinson Jeffers, Gary Snyder, Archie R. Ammons, Denise Levertov, Mary Oliver and Wendell Berry. The major feature that distinguishes ecopoetry from traditional nature poetry is its distinct biocentrism that is manifested in the attitude of humility towards the world of nature and a critical approach to technological civilization posing danger to Earth’s eco-community. On the level of the ecological consciousness that it promotes, ecopoetry is inspired by such ecosophies as Benedict Spinoza’s monistic pantheism, Aldo Leopold’s earth ethics, Arne Naess’s deep ecology and James Lovelock’s concept of Gaia