Jinha Lee
Chonnam National University, South Korea
Title: Robert Hass’s Ecological Imagination in Time and Materials.
Biography
Biography: Jinha Lee
Abstract
This thesis analyzes Robert Hass’s fourth book of poetry, Time and Materials by focusing on the “self-conscious Anthropocene” (Lynn Keller). For this thesis of Hass’s Time and Materials, I develop Keller’s idea of “the Self-Conscious-Anthropocene” (26) for Hass’s call to action to ameliorate destructive ecological conditions, which I call the “well-intended self-conscious-Anthropocene” which he suggested that with humans’ wills, we have to perceive present ecological problems and set our ecological interest with environmental justice. I add Hass’s idea as “Well-Intended-Consciousness-Anthropocene” can be reminded with ecological sustainability and resilience. That ecological sustainability implies that we must do for human’s health to a level the natural environment and humanity can handle as Luretius says in the book De Rerum Natura.
As an ecological poet with epicurean thought, Hass focuses on the earth’s dream and human’s dream as well as all organisms and systems based on their physical connections. Hass writes about physical or biological or geographical connections with nature and humans through death and rebirth. His subjects are written about connection on human being’s work with the environment. l analyze hypersea and hyperobjects related to atoms in atomic age.
Political issues and his confessional family story are related to “Self-righteous Leadership,” although it can’t be judged as right or wrong. Given Hass’s imaginary thought to find original state which has pure light, or what the first thing is, Hass concerns human ‘who is a species who has wonder or curiosity’ affects nature too much, especially as human beings trigger wars to take more resources. Hass describes our borderless resources such as water, light, birds, winds and insects and nature’s things. Those are related to our environmental surviving as our physiological needs. Hass wrote Time and Materials to evoke us to have consciousness for the earth and love itself for our own happiness.