Late Negotiations: Ecopoetry and Kathleen Jamie

Abstract

This essay explores Kathleen Jamie’s ecopoetry, expanding upon previous discussions of her work in this context. Through close readings of key poems, a broader exploration of lyric poetry and ecopoetics is developed. The opening section discusses current debates. While there is agreement with a critical consensus that our environmental catastrophe necessitates new ways of thinking, it is queried whether this, regarding lyric poetry, necessitates rejection of all convention and previous approaches. The main section of the essay then reexamines the work of Jamie, a well-known ecopoet, to scrutinize ways in which an emphasis on close reading and attention to matters of form might allow for a richer understanding than is allowed for in current ecocritical debates.