‘Elk Woord is een Aarde’: De Ec(h)opoëtica van Édouard Glissant

This article explores the ec(h)opoetics of Édouard Glissant, focusing on how his literary and philosophical work is deeply rooted in the geography and ecology of Martinique. Through an ecocritical reading of his poetry, it demonstrates how Glissant’s poetics embody natural processes and reflect a reciprocal formation of the lyrical subject in relation to the island’s ecology. The article highlights Glissant’s concept of ‘poetics of place poétique du lieu’ and the intertwining of human and more-than-human identities within a collective, plant-like Martinican identity. It further examines Glissant’s philosophical notions of relation, including the ideas of tout-monde, échos-monde, and chaos-monde, to show how his poetics resonate globally, articulating a dynamic and interconnected world ecology. The article argues that Glissant’s ec(h)opoetics is both a poetic and political project, expressing a passion for the earth that acknowledges colonial histories and advocates for ecological and social justice. Ultimately, Glissant’s work reveals a multivoiced, relational understanding of place and world, where poetry acts as a generative force in creating and sustaining ecological relations across local and global scales.