A Comparative Study of the Anthropocene Factors in J.G. Ballard’s The Drowned World and the Selected Modern Persian Eco-Poems Through Meteorological Hazards

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Anthropocene is a geological time scale when human beings have taken planet Earth outside of its natural capacity. In literature, this era is represented through the thematic genre known as climate fiction. This type of fiction paves a new path in literary works by imagining possible futures and alternative presents to reconfigure our dystopian eras. This article opens a dialogue between English and Persian literature that enables us to echo our voices, reconstruct the present, reconsider the status quo, and avoid future disasters. By employing the concepts of Das Unheimliche, The Judgement, and The Last Man, this comparative study revolves around the literary portrayal of the symbiosis relationship between nature and human beings in Ballard’s (1930–2009) The Drowned World (1962) and the selected Modern Persian eco-poems from different Iranian poets. Following this approach, the present inquiry proves that despite their uncommon nations and forms, both literatures share a convergent characteristic in unveiling the Anthropocene factors.

Keywords

• Anthropocene factors
• Persian eco-poetry
• English climate fiction
• J.G. Ballard
• modern Persian eco-poets
• “人类世”元素