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Harnessing poetry and creative writing for environmental awareness
It is time to harness the transformative power of poetry and creative writing to ignite environmental awareness through profound and evocative words.
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Nature’s lessons: Palangka Raya University students plant trees in a peatland forest on March 22. 2022, in the Central Kalimantan capital of Palangka Raya as part of the commemoration of World Forest Day. (Antara/Makna Zaezar)
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n June 27, Sadhan Chandra Mahavidyalaya in India, in collaboration with the Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University in Yogyakarta, organized a captivating workshop titled A Creative Writing Workshop: Poetry and Environment through Zoom.
The event aimed to explore the profound connection between poetry and the natural world, inviting participants to immerse themselves in the beauty and importance of the environment through their creative writing endeavors and poetry reading. The distinguished speaker for the workshop was John Charles Ryan, an esteemed poet and researcher from Southern Cross University, Australia.
Ryan, renowned for his evocative poetry focusing on environmental themes, captivated the participants with his profound insights and inspiring words. As a coauthor of the book Seeing Trees: A Poetic Arboretum published in 2020, his expertise and deep understanding of the intricate relationship between poetry and the environment were apparent.
Through his engaging presentation and interactive sessions, he shared his creative process, techniques for incorporating environmental elements into poetry and the power of language to drive change. Participants left the workshop with newfound inspiration, equipped with the tools to craft their own poetry that celebrates the natural world and advocates for its protection and conservation.
The workshop served as a cross-cultural exchange and collaboration platform, fostering a global community of writers committed to using their craft to raise awareness and inspire action for a sustainable future.
Poetry has an inherent ability to capture the essence of the environment and to paint vivid imagery with words that transport readers to the heart of nature. Through carefully crafted verses, poets have the power to evoke the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures and emotions that arise from our encounters with the natural world.
Harnessing the creative force of language, poets can encapsulate the beauty of a blooming flower, the tranquility of a pristine forest or the raw power of a roaring waterfall. In the realm of poetry, the environment becomes a living entity, brought to life through the poet's unique perspective and utilization of literary devices.
