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Ecospirituality in the Select English and Tamil Poems

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Ecospirituality in the Select English and Tamil Poems Special Issue Published in International Journal of Trend in Research and Development (IJTRD), ISSN: 2394-9333, www.ijtrd.com Ecospirituality in the Select English and Tamil Poems Indusoodan. I, Assistant Professor, Department Of English, Sreesaraswathithyagaraja College, Pollachi, India Abstract: Ecocriticism is the study of the relationship between the literature and environment to understand the vital role of nature in the growth and evolution of everything and it paves ways many to the scholars to examine environmental concerns and the ways literature treats the subject of nature. Some ecocritics endeavor through literature to provide possible solutions for the sustenance of environment. Ecospiritualityconnects the science of ecology with spirituality. It has been defined as "a manifestation of the spiritual connection between human beings and the environment." The new millennium and the modern ecological crisis have created a need for environmentally based religion and spirituality. Ecospirituality is also understood by scholars as one result of people wanting to free themselves from the materialistic society. Keywords: Ecocriticism, Ecospirituality, Ecology, Ecobiology I. INTRODUCTION Ecospirituality or spiritual ecologyrefers to the intersection between and conglomeration of religion, spiritualityand environment. Practitioners of spiritual ecology fall into three categories: the scientific andacademic, spiritual or religious environmentalism, and religious or spiritual individuals whorelate strongly to the environment.Pro-environmental teachings are present in religions like Christianity, Buddhism,Hinduism and Islam and there are potentials for aspiritual appeal to environmental behavior which is an approach towards ecospirituality. This research article aims at bringing out the ecospiritual perspectives in select English and Tamil poems. II. ECOPOETRY AND SPIRITUALITY Ecopoetry,a genreborn in the later part of the twentieth century portrays and creates thelink between nature and consciousness. Eco poetry includes poems that have a romantic engagement with nature. There are references of human environmental degradation in them. Abrams says that nature writing is as old as literature. This genre developed along with ecocriticismin the late 1970s and established by the 1990s. Spirituality is often thought to be about personal growth and gaining a proper understanding of one‘s place in the cosmos, and to be intertwined with environmentalist concern and action. Spiritualityis also a term increasingly used by traditionally religious people. The Concept of Nature in Vedas and Religions India is basically an agrarian country and the people lived here shared a very great part of their lives with nature and natural entities. It is obvious that even in the Vedas,Aranyakas, Upanishads— books written in the Early Vedic Period in poetry clearly state the relationship that the people had with nature and how natural entities were worshipped.They led a life one with nature and considered it the deputy of God and worshipped as God himself as well. And equally one can understand the various aspects of ecological and environmental knowledge and relationship the people had of that time when reading the ancient literature. They fully depended upon the natural resources around them to fulfill all their necessities. They believed and could not explain the natural phenomena around them, hence tried to understand the natural with mythical interpretations. They were impressed by the arrival of rain, the appearance and movements of the celestial bodies and the mountains and rivers and the natural elements like fire air, earth and water etc. Their awareness of the environment was coloured by mythology but they weresuccessful in linking their life with the natural surroundings and maintaining patterns of the relationships with them. The Vedic deities are considered as the personification of the natural forces. They even worshipped the trees and plants that have medicinal values say Neem, Pipal, Basil and alike.The medicinal plants thatwere shining forth with flowers and fruits, cure diseases. The act of curing and healing was considered to be the attribute of divine itself. Atharva Veda's love for mother earth is outstanding. Mother earth loves all creatures living on it and so does God. Our environment is a blessing for us as it provides the basic necessity of life. The same is replicated in the hymns of Vedas. The attitude of the Vedic people towards the natural forces and their thrilling life with nature caused the concepts of Vedic Gods and Vedic rituals. Nature influenced the religion and philosophy. After the Vedic period as this civilization moved on with changes and modifications, there were both continuity and break in the traditionalattitudes towards nature and environment. Over the course of time the minds of human beings turned restless and changed outright, the more they grew greedy andneedy they started cutting trees, do excessive mining, kill animals causing polluted environment.Changes in religious outlook and urbanisation brought forth changes in the relationship between man and nature. Nature and Spiritual connection is not only in Hinduism but also in all the religions of the world say, Pantheism is one of the oldest religious traditions, and reserves its deepest reverence for Nature and the Universe. Nature is central, sacred, and demands to be treated with respect, love and care. In Taoism living simply, in accordance with nature, is the highest goal. III. ROMANTICISM AND NATURE Romanticism is a literary, intellectual, artistic movement born in the latter part of 18th century. Romantic Movement tracedthe unbridgeable gap gradually growing between man and nature which led to spiritual alienation of the masses. This was regarded as undesirable and leading to the degradation of the humans. According to the romantics, the solution was ―back to nature‖ because nature was seen as pure and a spiritual source of renewal.But, what is new with the Romantics isthat they have added an all pervasive sense of life or spiritin Nature. International Conference on Active vs Reactive Texts: Literature, Language, Criticism, Theory and Translation (ICART-17) organized by Department of English, N.G.M. College, Pollachi, 4th and 5th Aug 2017 55 | P a g e Special Issue Published in International Journal of Trend in Research and Development (IJTRD), ISSN: 2394-9333, www.ijtrd.com To Shelley - "Nature is a mysticalrevelation of that eternal spirit in whom all modes of life are one". Byron, however,found in Nature his ideal of passionate freedom. His poetry does notdepict Nature in her mystic charms. For him Nature was the source o f eternal Joy. In Byron‘ s poetry, man has been depicted in the background o f Nature -aid man's joys and sorrows have become reflected in Nature. IV. WORDSWORTH AND NATURE Wordsworth in his sweet simplicity and naturalness made nature acquired the halo of a mystic realisation.Wordsworth had a deep faith in the lifeof Nature realized the divinegreatness of this vast Nature. He felt that man and Naturewere bound by an inseparable, intense relationship. The poet describes a time when he meandered over the valleys and hills and finally came across a crowd of daffodils stretching out over almosteverything he could see. In I wandered lonely as a cloudby comparing himself to a cloud, the poet endorses his close identification with the nature that surrounds him. He also demonstrates this connection by personifying the daffodils several times, even calling them a "crowd" as if they are a group of people. The poet goes into more details about the daffodils. They reminded him of the MilkyWay as they seemed to be neverending. Wordsworth describes towards the end of the poem when hewas lonely or feeling pensive he could remember the daffodils, seeing them with his inward eye he becomescontent. He also believed that Nature has an ennobling influence on man's life. The ever beautiful, joyous Nature with her deep serenity fill the human heart with absolute peace. It was in Nature that Wordworth perceived the divine soul or the eternal beauty of God Himself. In Wordsworth's poetry again, Nature appears as a great teacher who can uplift man's spiritual and moral stature.In The Tables Turned he begins by telling his friend to stop reading books and then asks why he chooses to be so serious while outside there is a beautiful evening scene.He continues, telling his friend rather than reading books, he shouldventure outside to where the birds are singing beautiful musiccontaining more wisdom than in any book: "Come forth into the light of things, / Let Nature be your teacher." He tells his friend that Mother Nature is full of wealth, and that she is readyto bestow her fruits on our minds and hearts. He also says that in nature wisdom comes from being happyand healthy, and that a person can learn more about humanity and about good and evil from a tree thanfrom a sage: ―She has a world of ready wealth, Our minds and hearts to bless-- Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health, Truth breathed by cheerfulness. One impulse from a vernal wood May teach you more of man, Of moral evil and of good, Than all the sages can‖. The poet suggests that all that we need is ‗a heart that watches and receives‘.For Wordsworth there ismuch more to be learned by watching, listening to, and simply taking in one's surroundings than bystudying books. Bharathiar and Nature The great poet Bharathireveals his communion with nature and the divine spirit in his poems.InKakkaiChiraginile
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