New Dimensions The Power of Poetry in Uncertain Times - Jane Hirshfield - ND3702
Apr 1, 2026
Jane Hirshfield, poet and essayist known for Ledger and Ten Windows, brings a short meditation on poetry’s role in hard times. She explores poems as acts of care, the interplay of humility and gratitude, links between Zen practice and poetic awareness, and how verse can defend science, foster solidarity, and reshape meaning in moments of crisis.
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Poetry As An Accounting Of Dark Times
- Poetry can be a ledger that balances recognition of catastrophe with appreciation for the world's ongoing gifts.
- Jane Hirshfield wrote Ledger as an accounting of despair and praise during years of ecological and social crises.
From A Dark Poem To An Apology Poem
- Jane wrote Hazal for the End of Time, her darkest poem, then realized it was rude to only despair and wrote My Debt as an apology to the world.
- She sent the dark poem to a friend, and in the waiting received the impulse to write a balancing, grateful final poem.
Sound Driven Visions Of Ecological Collapse
- Hazal for the End of Time uses sound and image to imagine large-scale ecological collapse and even the metaphor of death becoming orphaned.
- Jane admits the poem exaggerates to force recognition of climate consequences we avoid.
