Abstract
Craig Santos Perez’s “Praise Song for Oceania,” written for World Oceans Day, is a powerful celebration of the ocean as a life-giving force that connects humanity to the earth and oceans in both ecological and embodied ways. I explore how Perez’s poem blends Indigenous Pacific Islander worldviews with environmental advocacy, emphasizing our deep physical, cultural, and spiritual ties to the ocean. Perez reminds us that the ocean is not just around us—it is within us. Our bodies carry saltwater in our blood and tears, and our hearts beat to the rhythm of the ocean’s waves. The poem also reflects on how life began in the ocean, making it the source of all existence. Through poetic techniques like repetition, metaphor, and invocation, Perez invites an embodied experience of the poem, asking us to feel the ocean not only as a distant entity but as an integral part of who we are. Using ecocritical and postcolonial frameworks, this session analyzes how “Praise Song for Oceania” situates the ocean as a sacred and interconnected force, central to identity, survival, and environmental advocacy. By evoking both emotional and physical connections to the sea, Perez’s work inspires a deeper commitment to marine preservation and climate action. This study will support educators, poets, and activists who seek to understand how art can bridge personal experience and global environmental issues, fostering a profound recognition of our shared origin and destiny with the ocean.
Presenters
Nancy GoldfarbTeaching Professor, English, Indiana University Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Indigenous Pacific Islander, Ocean, Ecopoetics, Environmental Advocacy, Postcolonial Framework, Ecology
