An eco poem explores the relationship between humans and the natural world through the lens of environmental change. In this episode, Leo reflects on shifting landscapes, shares Jane Hirshfield's "Common Pigeon" (used with permission), and offers prompts and resources to help listeners write their own eco poems.

Visit thepoetrylab.com to find the Show Notes for this episode. The Poetry Lab Podcast is produced by Danielle Mitchell, with special guest hosts Lori Walker, bridgette bianca, Leonora Simonovis and Ravina Wadhwani.

EPISODE GUIDE

Eco-poetry asks us to look closer—at the world, and our place in it.

02:00 — What Are Eco-Poems? How eco-poetry goes beyond nature writing to explore environmental change and human impact.

05:00 — Expanding the Definition Different approaches to eco-poetry, including cultural, spiritual, and ancestral relationships to land.

08:00 — A Close Reading: The Common Pigeon How research, history, and emotional resonance work together to transform an overlooked subject.

10:30 — What Makes an Eco-Poem Effective Blending facts with feeling to create awareness, connection, and a shift in perspective.

12:00 — Prompt 1: Writing Place and Change A two-stanza exercise exploring a place you know, then and now, and your emotional connection to it.

13:30 — Prompt 2: Rewriting the Overlooked Choose a misunderstood animal or plant, research it, and build a poem that argues for its importance.

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