Poetry of the Everglades

Persuasive Words

The Florida EvergladesWhat are the

Everglades?A series of diverse,

yet interconnected ecosystems covering the southernmost tip of Florida, extending from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. Today, the Everglades National Park covers 2,354 square miles.

Around the 1880’s, the Everglades were seen as wasted land. Plans were made to drain the swamps, “reclaiming” the land so humans could use it for farming, recreation, and homesteading.

During the years 1900-1919, dredging was done in earnest.

The native animals of the Everglades were harvested to make fashion accessories. Alligators and birds of all kinds, being highly prized, were especially vulnerable.

Conservation EffortsThe Conservation Movement

gained momentum under Roosevelt, who wanted to end the “old wasteful methods of exploiting”.

Between 1923 and 1929, several efforts to make the Everglades a protected area were thwarted.

Truman dedicated 1.3 million square miles of the Everglades National Park in 1947.

The 1970’s and 1980’s saw several areas of the Everglades given protected status, either from the federal government or UNESCO.

Today, efforts are still under way to restore the Everglades. Tracts of land are being bought back by the government and reverted back to their natural state.

Poetry, having significant currency during the beginnings of the conservation movement, became a way to protest what was being done to the Everglades.

The following is a selection of poems written about the Everglades. Some are written from a pro-conservation point of view; some advocate draining the land.

As we read each, keep several questions in mind. Consider each writer’s motivation. What side is he or she on? How does each poem differ in mood or style? How does this affect the overall tone of the poem? How persuasive is each poem? How does the writer use imagery and choice of words to be persuasive?

Poems

Marjory Stoneman

Douglas, who led early

conservation movements. She

wrote several letters, poems, and a book, The

Everglades: River of Grass.

Founded Friends of the Everglades.

How effective do you think the three pro-conservation poems were in promoting Everglades conservation efforts? What do you think makes them so?

The writer of the fourth poem writes from a dramatically different point of view. Do you think this poem convinced people of the importance of draining the Everglades?

What did you like best about these poems? Was there one that particularly affected you?

Conclusion