Reading: Climate Change Poetry

A set of poems commissioned by the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) that feature 9 poems on the theme of climate change. The poems are based on the collective understanding of climate change and human response to this global phenomenon. These pieces were commissioned as part of ‘Seven Dimensions of Climate Change’ series of the RSA and include the following poems

1. ‘A Climate of Change’ by George the Poet 
2. ‘How’s My Coal’ by Simon Barraclough
3. ‘Except for the Lone Wave’ by Grace Nichols 
4. ‘Untitled’ by Tom Chivers 
5. ‘We Have Everything We Need’ by Selena Nwulu
6. ‘Water is Company’ by Ruth Padel 
7. ‘Polar Heart’ by Simon Barraclough
8. ‘Inheritance’ by John Agard 
9. ‘Alongside Beans’ by Alice Oswald 

Students will learn about climate change and its impacts on society through poetry. They will also learn about linkages of  science and human emotion. 

Use this tool to help your students find answers to: 

1. What is climate poetry?
2. How can poetry be used to tackle the issue of climate change?
3. What are the essential components of poetry? 

About the tool: 

Tool Name	9 Original Poems on Climate Change
Discipline	Humanities
Topic(s) in Discipline	Poetry, Literature
Climate Topic	Climate and Society
Type of tool	Reading
Grade Level	High School, Undergraduate
Location	Global
Language	English
Translation
Developed by	The Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
Hosted at	The Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
Link	https://www.thersa.org/globalassets/pdfs/events/climate-change-poetry-anthology.pdf
Access	Online/Offline
Computer Skills	Basic