Sea Level Rising Poems: Poems By John Drury

Sea levels have been rising at an alarming rate due to climate change, and poets are increasingly using their creative voices to highlight the urgency and consequences of this global issue. One such poet is John Drury, whose collection of poems aptly titled "Sea Level Rising Poems" captures the beauty, vulnerability, and impending danger associated with the rising tides.

The alt attribute to describe the featured image: "Flowing waves depict the imminent rise of sea levels in John Drury's collection of poems: Sea Level Rising Poems."

Unveiling the Power of Words

John Drury's "Sea Level Rising Poems" is a poignant exploration of the natural world and its delicate balance. Through his evocative imagery and lyrical language, Drury takes readers on a journey through both the awe-inspiring beauty of the ocean and the profound threat it faces.

Sea Level Rising - Poems: Poems by John Drury

by Dorothy Vandekamp(Kindle Edition)

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1248 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	94 pages
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In the opening poem of the collection, aptly titled "Tidal Symphony," Drury sets the stage by drawing readers in with lines like:

"The sea, an ethereal orchestra, Conducting waves, a symphony of awe."

With each subsequent poem, Drury skillfully examines different aspects of the rising sea levels, from the impact on marine life to the displacement of coastal communities. He often personifies the ocean, giving it a voice to emphasize the urgent need for action.

The Beauty of Desolation

"Sea Level Rising Poems" not only delves into the threat to humanity but also captures the beauty found in the desolation that may come with rising oceans. Drury's poem "Underwater Elegy" paints a vivid and haunting picture, incorporating sensations of loss, solitude, and even hope:

"Silent dancers float above hidden cities Forgotten civilizations rest in watery graves Yet in the darkness, life continues to grow."

Drury's ability to find solace in the midst of despair allows readers to reflect on the resilience of nature and the possibility of adapting to a new reality.

Confronting the Human Impact

The poems of "Sea Level Rising Poems" go beyond capturing the natural world and dive into the human experience. Drury doesn't shy away from addressing the role humans play in accelerating climate change, highlighting the consequences of our actions.

In the powerful poem "Footprints Fading," Drury encompasses the guilt and regret of humanity:

"Footprints stained by polluted waters, Our legacy now haunting us."

By confronting our collective responsibility, Drury urges readers to reflect on their own actions and inspire change.

: A Call to Action

"Sea Level Rising Poems" by John Drury is a compelling collection that uses the power of poetry to shed light on the pressing issue of rising sea levels. Through his vivid imagery and poignant words, Drury invites readers to reflect on the beauty, vulnerability, and imminent danger faced by our planet.

The alt attribute to describe the featured image: "Experience the captivating verses of John Drury's Sea Level Rising Poems and join the movement towards climate action."

Each poem within the collection serves as a call to action, urging readers to take steps towards reducing their carbon footprint, advocating for environmental policies, and protecting the planet for future generations.

In a world grappling with the consequences of climate change, John Drury's "Sea Level Rising Poems" offers a lyrical and urgent voice that can inspire change.

Sea Level Rising - Poems: Poems by John Drury

by Dorothy Vandekamp(Kindle Edition)

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1248 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Print length	:	94 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE

Sea Level Rising, John Philip Drury’s fourth collection, revels in water—flowing through rivers, splashing on quays and docked vessels, the wake of speeding boats, the elusive tang of sea salt in the heart of the prairie, even the water of baptism that rebirths the believer. The uplifting lure of water, as with a pair of honeymooners in Venice, may inspire a love “eager to divorce/ anything impeding its energy.” Our state of being might mirror water’s when “everything’s in flux, repeated spasms/ of wake and wave, bright sun, reflecting pool,/ surges made up of intricate detail.” The waves of music, like those of water, are also prominent in the musings of this collection, where that which “rises and returns/ approaches music, a blessing/ beyond sound.” These are masterfully crafted poems of uncommon inspiration, and they whelm with a celebration and longing for that which ebbs or flows inside us.

PRAISE FOR SEA LEVEL RISING:

Sea Level Rising is about a lot of things, all in some way the same mystery—why we love tidal waters, why we feel a kinship with the pulse and ebb of time and emptiness, why we feel most alive when we stand at the fractal edges of perception, why the singing of a good poem evokes all those correspondences we can’t help loving. John Philip Drury’s new poems will please many and please often as he celebrates, and with mastery, the inexhaustible waters before and within each of us.
—Dave Smith, author of Hawks on Wires: Poems, 2005-2010

With candor and a close eye, Drury introduces us to a world of love and literature, nostalgia and new experiences—a world where water pervades everything: a constant and comforting reminder that what we depend on is, like us, also always in flux. Drury is deft at numerous forms, with a delicate touch. You can become so swept up in a poem you may not recognize it as a sonnet until you reach its resounding couplet; but, the beauty of the form—the force of its rhymes and the rapture of their song—has resonated since the opening lines and in all the energy that follows. That’s the wonder of this collection: the “film of beauty, tides that keep on rising,” as Drury writes. Sea Level Rising is an amazing achievement. It should not be missed.
—Erica Dawson, author of The Small Blades Hurt

John Philip Drury is a Marylander; it makes all the difference. The ever-changing sea defines these poems; Drury explores impermanence—destiny, the future, love, fame, desire—anchored by a rock-solid formal mastery. Land and sea interpenetrate here—loom up, fall away—transmuting one into the other, a way of seeing. His favorite city is Venice, a perfect metaphor for a sensibility too large to be only one thing or its opposite. The masks and play of that ancient meeting place of land, sky and sea divert us from the serious business of its survival—and that might be a good way to describe Drury’s art. In impermanence, through our art, we survive.
—James Cummins, author of Still Some Cake

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

John Philip Drury is the author of three previous books of poetry: The Refugee Camp (Turning Point Books, 2011),Burning the Aspern Papers (Miami University Press, 2003),and The Disappearing Town (Miami University Press, 2000). He has also written The Poetry Dictionary and Creating Poetry, both published by Writer’s Digest Books. His awards include a Pushcart Prize, two Ohio Arts Council grants, an Ingram Merrill Foundation fellowship, and the Bernard F. Conners Prize from The Paris Review. He is a Professor of English at the University of Cincinnati.