Erín Moure’s “Homenaxes á auga / Homages to Water”: The (Poetic) Material that Resists War

Erín Moure’s “Homenaxes á auga / Homages to Water” features the ingredients of borscht. My reading argues that poetic language can function as a criticism of capitalism (Morrison), environmental destruction, and militarism. That is, giving poetic shape to her mother’s recipe, Moure approaches herstorical memory; her focus on a vegetarian version of borscht leads to a consideration of animal abuse and food waste; the lyrical-critical allusions to armed conflicts encourage readers both to remember past wars and to be alert to violence in the present and future. The poet thus offers readers alternative paradigms from feminist new materialisms (Alaimo; Barad; Bennett; Braidotti), as a means to vindicate affection and respect. Finally, the natural world is portrayed as a model for ethics.