French Ecopoetry – French Undergraduate Class

This material is used in week 8 of the module French Poetry: From Romanticism to Slam (BA French, Year 2), a class which focuses on eco-poetry, drawing connections between 19th-century representations of nature and contemporary poetic responses to the climate crisis. This module introduces key movements—romanticism, symbolism, surrealism, Oulipo, eco-poetry, and slam—exploring how poets have engaged with existential, philosophical, political, and social issues. While studying major French poets, we also examine lesser-known poet-activists, particularly in Class 8’s focus on eco-poets. The course highlights poetry as a vehicle for expression and resistance, culminating in an online discussion with a French poet who engages with the climate crisis in his current work.