Nature and poetry: poetry as a method for nature connection

Abstract

Our world seems to inhabit many people who tend to be disconnected from nature, who seem to use nature mainly as a background for their ‘fast’ activities, driven by adrenaline. This disconnection may be contributing to the planet’s destruction as well as negatively influence people’s health. This research aims to fill a gap in the subject’s knowledge as it looks to explore poetry as a stimulating tool for nature connection. Poetry has been a key element of my adult life, bringing me closer to nature, helping me to ask new questions, to wonder, to find new perspectives and ultimately guiding me into forming an incredibly meaningful relationship with nature. Which is why I aimed at developing a new method that looks to use and incorporate poetry within slow outdoor experiences, in order to help people establish a deeper and more meaningful connection to nature.