Nature-inspired identity: the quest for wholeness in Chenjerai Hove's blind moon

Abstract EN

This paper attempts to examine the use of environmental elements to represent natural features in the poetry of Chenjerai Hove (1956- 2015) and specifically in his book blind moon (2003).

it illustrates a theoretical background on ecocriticism and Eco poetry as tools to show how hove explored and expressed humanity’s quest for identity and a place on earth and examining his poetry in this way sheds light on the idea of ‘nature’ and investigates several questions regarding our interconnectedness and relatedness.

Hove is a Zimbabwean poet who wrote extensively on Africa, nature, heritage and the preservation of one’s identity.

he always makes use of African and Zimbabwean traditions and conventions.

Hove's poetry offers a close investigation of the psychological and social views of nature and the rural areas and features.

he died in 2015 while living in exile in Norway after fiercely rejecting the policies of the Mugabe authority.

this paper attempts to examine selected poems by hove from blind moon using ecocriticism approach in order to answer the following questions: 1.

what is meant by ecocriticism? 2.

what are the environmental issues inscribed in his poems? 3.

what elements of thought could be identified about human responsibility towards environment in the poem?