SF's Ecocriticism

 Dr. Suresh Frederick, an Associate Professor and UG Head at Bishop Heber College, Trichy, India, has coined and engaged with pocoecocriticism in his scholarly work, notably in his book Contemporary Contemplations on Ecoliterature (2012). In this collection of essays, he contributes a specific study titled “Lost Land: A Pocoecocritical Study of Select Poems of Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker)”. Here, he analyzes the poetry of the indigenous Australian poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal, exploring how her work reflects the loss of land and cultural identity due to colonial dispossession. Frederick’s pocoecocritical approach highlights the environmental devastation tied to colonial policies, such as land theft, and the resulting alienation of indigenous communities from their ancestral ecosystems.

 

Pocoecocriticism, a blend of postcolonialism and ecocriticism, examines the intersections of environmental issues, colonial legacies, and cultural narratives in literature, particularly from marginalized or indigenous perspectives. It critiques how colonial exploitation of land and resources shapes ecological and social injustices, often amplifying the voices of those dispossessed by such histories.

 

His analysis frames Noonuccal’s poetry as a resistance narrative, where the land is not just a physical space but a cultural and spiritual entity. By applying pocoecocriticism, Frederick underscores how colonial power structures disrupt human-nature relationships, a theme resonant in postcolonial contexts globally. This work aligns with broader pocoecocritical goals of exposing environmental injustice as inseparable from colonial oppression.

 

Dr Suresh Frederick’s contribution to pocoecocriticism is part of his larger ecocritical scholarship, which spans American, Australian, and Indian literature. His role as Vice President of OSLE (Organization for Study of Literature and Environment) and his extensive publications—over 90 articles—further establish him as a key voice in bridging ecocriticism with postcolonial concerns.

 

He has published over 80 papers in reputed journals and books, so this is a representative sample rather than a complete catalogue.

 

- “Suicidal Motive: An Ecocritical Reading of Four Poems”  

  Published in Essays in Ecocriticism, edited by Nirmal Selvamony, 2007.  

  Examines themes of self-destruction in poetry through an ecocritical lens, emphasizing environmental ethics.

 

- “Striving for Symbiosis: An Ecocritical Study of Selected Poems of Tagore’s The Gardener”  

  Published in *Indian English Poetry: Recent Explanations*, edited by Gauri Shankar Jha, 2008.  

  Analyses Rabindranath Tagore’s poetry for its ecological harmony and symbiotic themes.

-“Interspecific Relationship in the Select Poems of Charles Harpur”  

  Published in *Critical Essays on Australian Literature*, edited by K. Balachandran, 2010.  

  This article explores ecological relationships in the poetry of Charles Harpur, focusing on human-nature interactions.

 

- “Ecowisdom in Keki Darwalla’s Poems “Wolf” and “The Last Howl””  

  Published in Critical Essays on Indian English Poetry and Drama: Texts and Contexts, edited by Arvind M. Narwale, 2010.  

  Discusses ecological wisdom in Darwalla’s portrayal of animals and nature.

 

- “Lost Land: A Pocoecocritical Study of Select Poems of Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker)”  

  Published in Contemporary Contemplations on Ecoliterature, edited by Suresh Frederick, 2012.  

  Combines postcolonial and ecocritical perspectives to analyse Indigenous Australian poetry.

 

- “Exploitation of Animals in Jack London’s The Call of the Wild”  

  Published in a collection of essays, Contemporary Contemplations on American Literature (2014)

  Focuses on animal treatment and environmental themes in London’s novel.