Geopoetics

Geographic method incorporating poetry

Geopoetics is an interdisciplinary approach that combines elements of geography, poetry, and philosophy to explore the relationship between places, landscapes, and human experience.[1][2][3] Geopoetics as a term was coined by Scottish Poet Kenneth White in 1979, his original manifesto and definitions of geopoetics have been expanded upon by researchers and poets in the subsequent decades.[4][5][1] Despite this, geopoetics as a concept has been difficult to define clearly.[6]

Geopoetics has been widely employed by critical geography as part of the response to the quantitative revolution in geography, and stresses qualitative approaches.[6][7] It seeks to bridge the gap between the objective study of physical geography and the subjective, emotional response to landscapes and environments.[7][2] It is described as harmonizing art and science.[8][9] In general, poetry can be used as a method for presenting and analyzing data, and geopoetics is in part an outgrowth of this.[10][3] Within the discipline of geography, poetry can be employed to teach abstract geographic concepts, such as the Four traditions of geography, in the classroom.[11] Geopoetics encourages individuals to engage with the world around them more profoundly and meaningfully, often through creative expressions such as poetry, prose, and art. Geopoetics has gained traction in the 21st century as many geographers seek to incorporate artistic expression into their work and as more artists enter the discipline of geography.[3] While geopoetics can present information in unique ways, analyze phenomena, and express meaning, it can also advocate for potential actions, influence policy, stimulate imagination, and seek to shape potential futures.[2][3]

## History

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### Origins

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The term "geopoetics" was coined by the Scottish poet and writer Kenneth White in the 1979s.[4][5] White's work was heavily influenced by his experiences traveling and living in various remote and natural landscapes, particularly the Scottish Highlands. His observations and reflections on these places led him to develop the concept of geopoetics to merge the scientific and the artistic in exploring landscapes.

### Development

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Geopoetics gained recognition and popularity primarily in academic and literary circles during the late 20th and early 21st centuries.[3] It has been embraced by poets, writers, artists, and scholars worldwide as a way to rethink and reimagine their relationship with the environment.[3] Geopoetics emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans and their surroundings and challenges the traditional separation of the natural world from the cultural and creative realms. Geopoetics has been used to communicate the environmental issues surrounding bi-catch in the fishing industry.[12][13] In one such application, poems were written about non-target species impacted by the shrimp fishing industry to bring attention to the value of these species and illustrate what it is like on a fishing boat.[13] Geopoetics has been employed to communicate information related to anthropogenic climate change.[14][15][16][17][18]

## Examples

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> Appendix: Wild Hyacinth

> "An eye-catcher, she is with a cousin in the Antioch dunes

> rock walls, rock slopes—wall flower put her on a postage stamp mark her as endangered by day, by dry soil, freeways, pesticides, frailty, her youth

> Range: Monticello Road

> Bloom: April–June"

— from the GeoPoetics Poetry Reading at the American Association of Geographers conference in March 2016., [19]

## Contemporary Relevance

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Geopoetics is an evolving field of study and artistic expression in the 21st century.[3][20] It inspires writers, artists, and environmentalists to engage with and reflect upon the environment innovatively. In an era of increasing environmental awareness and concern, geopoetics provides a framework for addressing environmental challenges and fostering a deeper connection to the natural world.[3]

## Notable Figures

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Kenneth White in 2009

* Kenneth White (b. 1936): A Scottish poet, essayist, and geographer, is regarded as the founder of geopoetics.[5]

* Eric Magrane: American geographer and poet who has published significant academic content on geopoetics as a discipline, including peer-reviewed publications and textbooks.[2][3][14]

* Gary Snyder: an American poet often associated with the Beat Generation and the San Francisco Renaissance, has explored themes related to nature and geopoetics in his poetry.[21][22]

## See also

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* American Association of Geographers
* Geosophy
* Qualitative geography
* Transcript poetry

## References

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1. ^ a b Italiano, Federico (2008). "Defining Geopoetics". TRANS- [En Ligne] Accueil. 6 (6). doi:10.4000/trans.299.
2. ^ a b c d Magrane, Eric (2015). "Situating Geopoetics". GeoHumanities. 1 (1): 86–102\. doi:10.1080/2373566X.2015.1071674. S2CID 219396902. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Magrane, Eric; Russo, Linda; de Leeuw, Sarah; Santos Perez, Craig (2019). Geopoetics in Practice (1 ed.). London: Taylor & Francis. doi:10.4324/9780429032202. ISBN 9780367145385. S2CID 203499214. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
4. ^ a b Bobbette, Adam (2023). "Geopoetics: A New Political History". Environmental Humanities. 15 (3): 235–250\. doi:10.1215/22011919-10746112.
5. ^ a b c "Kenneth White and Geopoetics". Scottish Centre for Geopoetics. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
6. ^ a b de Leeuw, Sarah; Magrane, Eric (2019). "Chapter 26: Geopoetics". Keywords in Radical Geography: Antipode at 50. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781119558156.
7. ^ a b White, Kenneth (1992). "Elements of geopoetics". Edinburgh Review. 88: 163–178.
8. ^ Wheeler, L. Ann (7 February 2017). "THE SONORAN DESERT: A LITERARY FIELD GUIDE EDITED BY ERIC MAGRANE AND CHRISTOPHER COKINOS". The Los Angeles Review. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
9. ^ White, Kenneth. "Geopoetics – A Scientific Approach". The International Institute of Geopoetics. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
10. ^ Illingworth, Sam (5 May 2022). "Creating poetry from data to aid analysis". Times Higher Education. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
11. ^ Donaldson, Daniel P. (2007). "Teaching Geography's four traditions with Poetry". Journal of Geography. 100 (1): 24–31\. doi:10.1080/00221340108978414. S2CID 143703609.
12. ^ Magrane, Eric; Johnson, Maria (2017). "An art–science approach to bycatch in the Gulf of California shrimp trawling fishery". Cultural Geographies. 24 (3): 487–495\. Bibcode:2017CuGeo..24..487M. doi:10.1177/1474474016684129. S2CID 149158790. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
13. ^ a b Gavenus, Erika (2017). "Bycatch –The Complexities of Shrimp Trawling in the Gulf of California: A collaboration between Maria Johnson and Eric Magrane". Millennium Alliance for Humanity & the Biosphere. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
14. ^ a b Magrane, Eric (2021). "Climate geopoetics (the earth is a composted poem)". Dialogues in Human Geography. 11 (1): 8–22\. doi:10.1177/2043820620908390. S2CID 213112503. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
15. ^ Nassar, Aya (2021). "Geopoetics: Storytelling against mastery". Dialogues in Human Geography. 1 (1): 27–30\. doi:10.1177/2043820620986397. S2CID 232162263.
16. ^ Engelmann, Sasha (2021). "Geopoetics: On organising, mourning, and the incalculable". Dialogues in Human Geography. 11: 31–35\. doi:10.1177/2043820620986398. S2CID 232162320. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
17. ^ Acker, Maleea (2021). "Gesturing toward the common and the desperation: Climate geopoetics' potential". Dialogues in Human Geography. 11 (1): 23–26\. doi:10.1177/2043820620986396. S2CID 232162312. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
18. ^ Cresswell, Tim (2021). "Beyond geopoetics: For hybrid texts". Dialogues in Human Geography. 11: 36–39\. doi:10.1177/2043820620986399. hdl:20.500.11820/b64b3dd4-c959-4a8e-877f-85d3058ce4b1. S2CID 232162314.
19. ^ Halebsky, Judith (2017). "Poems from GeoPoetics Session: True or False, Appendix: Wild Hyacinth, Underbrush". GeoHumanities. 3 (1): 205–208\. doi:10.1080/2373566X.2016.1273077. S2CID 165138931.
20. ^ Novikova, M. L.; Markelova, T. V. (2023). "Geopoetic Image as a Cultural Token, Process and Result of Aesthetic Reality Modeling". RUDN Journal of Language Studies, Semiotics and Semantics. 14 (3): 658–685\. doi:10.22363/2313-2299-2023-14-3-658-685.
21. ^ Carolan, Trevor. "On GeoActivism / GeoPoetics". Green Technology Education Centre. GTEC Canada. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
22. ^ Sun, Ayni (2023). Translation as an Intertextual Dialogue: "Cold Mountain Poems" and Gary Snyder's Geopoetics (PDF). Granada: Universidad de Granada. ISBN 978-84-1195-055-8. Retrieved 5 November 2023.

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