Ecofeminism and the Land: Nature as Feminine Space in the Poetry of Mary Oliver and Kamala Das

Abstract

This article examines the intersection of ecological consciousness and feminist sensibility in the poetry of Mary Oliver and Kamala Das, arguing that both poets construct nature as a feminine space that offers alternatives to patriarchal structures of domination. Drawing on ecofeminist theory and ecocritical methodology, this study analyses selected poems from Oliver's American nature poetry and Das's Indian confessional verse to investigate how these culturally distinct poets articulate parallel connections between the exploitation of nature and the oppression of women. The research employs a qualitative textual analysis methodology, examining published poetry collections alongside secondary critical sources from ecocriticism and feminist literary theory. The findings reveal that both poets employ nature imagery to critique patriarchal control over female bodies and desires, to imagine spaces of feminine autonomy and spiritual renewal, and to articulate embodied relationships between women and the natural world that resist Cartesian dualisms separating culture from nature. Despite significant differences in cultural context, poetic tradition, and thematic emphasis, Oliver and Das demonstrate convergent ecofeminist visions that challenge the hierarchical binaries (male/female, culture/nature, mind/body) underlying both environmental destruction and gender oppression. This comparative study contributes to ongoing scholarly conversations about global ecofeminism and the role of poetry in articulating alternative relationships between humanity and the more-than-human world.