메리 올리버의 낭만주의 전통을 품은 생태시

Abstract

This paper focuses on examining Mary Oliver’s poems as both ecological and romantic poetry. Her poems are mainly seen as ecological poetry, but they also have characteristics of romantic poetry. First, her poetic language, imagination, personification, assimilation with nature and deep insights are elements of romantic poetry. She makes detailed observations of the nature surrounding her, such as animals, plants and rivers as well as all other inanimate objects, and then brings in abstract concepts connected to these observations. This shares characteristics of romantic poetry. Second, her consideration of human-beings as a part of nature and ecologically interrelated presences is related to characteristics of ecological poetry. In Oliver's poems, the natural world plays an essential role and the human being is seen as just another creature in the eco-system. In addition, she recognizes everything is interconnected and interdependent with each other. These ideas are in common with ecological poetry. She blends romantic characteristics and ecological concepts in her poems, and that makes her poetry unique and special.