12 Eye-opening Poems about Climate Change

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Nationality: American

Themes: Death, Disappointment, Journey, Nature, Relationships

Emotions: Frustration, Guilt, Hope, Regret, Sadness

Topics:

Climate Change

Grandchildren

Animals, Future, Humanity, Loss, Memory

Forms: Epistle, Free Verse

Genre: Lament

"> 91/100

Letter to My Great, Great, Grandchild

by J.P. Grasser

‘Letter to My Great, Great, Grandchild’ by J.P. Grasser is a powerful poem about the climate crisis. Throughout, the poet alludes to terrible planetary changes that occur in only a few generations.

In 'Letter to My Great, Great, Grandchild', Grasser conjures a vision of the future in which our efforts to prevent global warming have failed, offering a glimpse into the horrors that await our descendants if we do not act. The paucity of things we consider to be everyday items in this imagined future demonstrates the urgent need for change in the present. Ultimately, the poem takes a pessimistic view of human attempts to tackle the problem which is entirely of our own making.

Oh button, don’t go thinking we loved pianos

more than elephants, air conditioning more than air.

We loved honey, just loved it, and went into stores

to smell the sweet perfume of unworn leather shoes.

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"> 90/100

Earthrise

by Amanda Gorman

‘Earthrise’ by Amanda Gorman is a powerful contemporary poem about climate change, the Apollo 8 mission to the moon, and the future of the Earth.

Climate change is the most important topic at work in this poem. The poet speaks about the topic with skillful imagery, effective metaphors, and a direct plea for support to readers. The poet hoped readers would walk away from this poem feeling inspired to change their lives and encourage those around them to do the same.

We’ve known (Stanza 4)

That we’re caught in the throes

Of climactic changes some say

Will just go away,

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"> 85/100

The Climate

by Annelyse Gelman

‘The Climate’ by Annelyse Gelman is a powerful piece about the climate crisis. It is seen through an approaching wave and metaphorical beachgoers’ negligence.

The poem portrays climate change through the image of an approaching wave, representing the destructive force of nature responding to human neglect. This wave grows larger, becoming impossible to ignore, symbolizing how climate change looms over humanity’s future. The poem illustrates the urgency of addressing these environmental issues, as people’s inaction only brings them closer to a potentially catastrophic end.

It was like watching a wave approach

from a great distance, so great

that at first it is not a wave at all, but

a mere horizon, static and singular,

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"> 76/100

Australia 1970

by Judith Wright

‘Australia 1970’ by Judith Wright speaks on the changing landscape of Australia in the 1970s. It promotes a fierce, wild, and dangerous version of Australia like the animals that have always lived within its boundaries.

Judith Wright's poem is related to climate change insofar as it is fiercely protective of Australia's wild, rural areas and argues they should be protected from industrialization and urbanization. However, the poem was written before the urgent need to slow the planet's warming became apparent and this explains why it is more preoccupied with preserving the personality of a specific place rather than saving lives elsewhere.

Die, wild country, like the eaglehawk,

dangerous till the last breath's gone,

clawing and striking. Die

cursing your captor through a raging eye.

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"> 76/100

Like an Heiress

by Grace Nichols

‘Like an Heiress’ by Grace Nichols contrasts the stunning beauty of the Atlantic Ocean with the harsh reality of a litter-covered beach, reminding us of our duty to protect and preserve the environment.

The poem indirectly addresses climate change through its focus on environmental damage. The littered beach symbolizes broader environmental issues. It makes us think about how our actions contribute to climate change.

Like an heiress, drawn to the light of her

eye-catching jewels, Atlantic draws me

to the mirror of my oceanic small-days.

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Nationality: American

Topics:

Climate Change

Mountains, Travel

"> 63/100

Homework

by Allen Ginsberg

Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Homework’ promotes reform while satirically addressing political upheaval and degradation of the environment.

Ginsberg's poem is strangely prophetic, given the fact it was written in 1980 before the scientific community had begun to stress the urgent need for action to prevent climate change. His metaphor of a dirty planet in need of cleansing also serves to mirror our modern preoccupation with finding forms of 'clean' energy as one of our best hopes of avoiding climate catastrophe.

If I were doing my Laundry I’d wash my dirty Iran

I’d throw in my United States, and pour on the Ivory Soap,

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"> 61/100

Fire and Ice

by Robert Frost

‘Fire and Ice’ by Robert Frost explores a universal interest in the apocalypse. It has always been a phenomenon capable of capturing people’s minds.

In many ways, this poem can be seen as an appropriate representation of climate change and the devastating effects it will have on the Earth if it is not averted. Frost features extreme climates in both directions: if the atmosphere's temperature begins to rise, the end of mankind will be caused by raging fires which consume the Earth. If temperatures begin to drop, another ice age will usher the world into a new era of lifeless silence.

Some say the world will end in fire;

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

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"> 59/100

Lament

by Gillian Clarke

‘Lament’ is Gillian Clarke’s war-inspired perspective on taking the time to remember the devastation and destruction that humanity is capable of today.

Although the poem was written about the Gulf War, it touches on environmental harm that feels close to what we now call climate change. The oil-stained sea and the fading sun suggest a world out of balance. Clarke never uses the term directly, but the connection is there. Because the message lines up with present-day concerns about the environment, this tag feels appropriate even if it is not the poem’s main focus. It earns a moderate rating.

For the green turtle with her pulsing burden,

in search of the breeding ground.

For her eggs laid in their nest of sickness.

#10

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"> 59/100

Report to Wordsworth

by Boey Kim Cheng

‘Report to Wordsworth’ by Boey Kim Cheng is a powerful poem about the changes that have come over the world since Wordsworth’s time.

There are allusions to climate change seen throughout this poem, particularly in the poet's focus on the world's oceans and ocean deities from Greek mythology. Readers can interpret the poet's understanding of the ocean's warming and overall polluted waters.

You should be here, Nature has need of you.

She has been laid waste. Smothered by the smog,

the flowers are mute, and the birds are few

in a sky slowing like a dying clock.

#11

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"> 52/100

There Will Come Soft Rains

by Sara Teasdale

‘There Will Come Soft Rains’ is a beautiful, image-rich poem. In it, Teasdale describes the impact, or lack thereof, that humanity really has on the natural world.

Although the poem does not mention pollution or global warming, it still connects with the idea of nature surviving after human mistakes. The speaker describes a future where people no longer exist, and nature goes on calmly. This can be seen as a quiet warning. If humanity keeps fighting and destroying, the planet may outlast us. The message fits into many conversations today about how Earth does not need us but we need it to survive.

There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,

And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

#12

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"> 24/100

Surplus Value

by David C. Ward

‘Surplus Value’ is a tragic poem that gives the first-hand experience of a man’s losses during economic decline in the USA.

The final stanza discusses the effects of industrialisation on the environment surrounding car factories, considering the effect of pollutants.

My Michigan brother-in-law was a tool and die guy,

A machinist, fabricating parts in shops supplying Big Three

Auto makers. A bantam with thick fingers, scarred hands

12 Eye-opening Poems about Climate Change

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12 Eye-opening Poems about Climate Change

by J.P. Grasser

by Amanda Gorman

by Amanda Gorman

by Annelyse Gelman

by Judith Wright

by Grace Nichols

by Allen Ginsberg

by Robert Frost

by Gillian Clarke

by Boey Kim Cheng

by Sara Teasdale

by David C. Ward

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