Eco-justice poetry: An emotive transgression

Dualistic value-hierarchies that are deeply embedded within Western culture assign certain identities, traits and ways of knowing as superior to others. According to eco-justice frameworks, these hierarchies allow some humans to be valued over others and all humans to be valued over the Earth. I specifically talk about the mind/body and human/nature split as two dualities present in Western discourse. Emotions are deemed inferior to the mind’s rational and objective ways of knowing while humans are considered separate and superior to nature. I argue that eco-justice poetry acts as a small transgression against a value- hierarchized culture that devalues emotional connection to more-than-human nature. Eco- justice poetry works to elevate emotional voice while providing a critical framework that recognizes the intersections between human identity, culture, and the world. Providing space for emotional reflection and connection, especially within educational programming, is increasingly important as ecological crises continue to unfold. The world requires pain, love, and gratitude to serve as an emotive reminder that humans are part of the ecology of the world