A Little Poem with a Great Tree Inside: Reading the Ecopoetry of Weerasak Yodrabam
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Abstract
This article aims to study the poetry of Weerasak Yodrabam through two of his works: “Only the Wild Bird Knows That Spring Will Come” and “Within the Little Seeds Are the Big Tree” The study employs the framework of ecocriticism, ecopoetry, and ecopoetics to examine whether Weerasak Yodrabam’s poetry aligns with the characteristics of ecological poetry, and in what ways. The findings reveal that both of Weerasak's works convey a significant essence: they present an ecological consciousness and the poet’s ecological self, who is committed to a way of life in contrast to the development driven by capitalism. This is reflected through key concepts that align with the characteristics of ecological poetry, such as paradigms and ecological consciousness that reject anthropocentrism. Instead, the works view the natural world with respect and reverence, acknowledging the grandeur and freedom of nature, recognizing that the world exists through the interconnection of life forces, and understanding that nature, with its dynamics and movements, serves as a great teacher. For Weerasak Yodrabam, nature, life, and poetry are one and the same.
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