W. S. 머윈의 생태시

W. S. Merwin's Ecopoetry: Crossing the Boundary between Bleak Reality and Aesthetic Poetry

This study examines how W. S. Merwin responds to the ecologically bleak realities of our time with his aesthetically constructed poetry. Focusing on Merwin's interviews and The Lice, his sixth and most critically acclaimed book of poems, this paper explores his acute political and ecological consciousness, and interprets Merwin's ecopoetry as an effective example of how to capture the apocalyptic despair and move beyond it. Furthermore, Merwin assumes the poet's responsibility not to avoid tremendously urgent problems, yet at the same time does not fall into the temptation to preach. He crosses the boundary between apocalyptic realities and aesthetic poetry without giving up hope, and with a delicate balance. Through The Lice, Merwin indicts our terrible arrogance and especially anthropocentric perspectives, which have caused environmental damage and "de-creation" on the planet. In reading closely "For a Coming Extinction," "Fly," "The Last One," "The Widow," "Some Last Questions," and "The Asians Dying," this paper reveals Merwin's feelings of distress, anger, grief, and his belief that poetry can make something happen. The Lice is a boundary-crossing book, and an eloquent record to deliver to the readers the ideas that Merwin emphasizes in his interviews such as "the feeling of awe," "humility before phenomenal things," and "the pleasure of existing together."