An Ecocritical Study: A New Trend in English Literature

Abstract:

                Ecocriticism is a modern literary approach studying the link between literature and the natural environment. It examines how nature is represented in texts and how human beings respond to ecological realities. Ecocriticism is a vast term but considering the scope of the research article the focus is thrown only on the selected literary work, “A River” by A. K. Ramanujan.  A. K. Ramanujan’s poem “A River” provides a strong basis for ecocritical study because it presents nature realistically and criticizes human indifference toward environmental destruction. The poem highlights the contrast between the river’s benign appearance when it is dry in summer and the serious tragedy of annual flooding, where poets traditionally romanticize the spectacle while ignoring the loss of human and animal life. The present research article studies “A River” from an ecocritical perspective and explains how it reflects ecocriticism as a new trend in English literature.