11 Underwater Tapestries: Impressions of the Sea in Art, Poetry, and Connected Texts

The Power and Importance of Oceans, Seas, Lakes, and Rivers

Oceans hold 97% of the earth’s water and make up about 70% of the earth’s surface. They have a depth of approximately 3,800 meters (12,500 ft) and while there is “one global ocean,” there are four geographically distinct ocean areas: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic. In comparison to oceans, seas are smaller bodies of water that are partly enclosed by land; there are 50 seas worldwide with diverse sizes, locations, and ecosystems. Rivers are natural streams of water that flow into a sea, lake, or another stream. Lakes are bodies of water surrounding by land. With many variations in size, there are, according to some estimates, 307 million lakes. Canada has the largest number of lakes, followed by Russia, the United States, Sweden, Brazil, and Norway. Collectively, these bodies of water form a hydrosphere.

The oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers are home to millions of plant and animal species; the intricately balanced ecosystems also contain millions of species yet to be discovered. Rather than viewing the ocean and its inhabitants as something separate from life on land, marine biologists continue to find important interrelationships between land and ocean life. Moreover, the actions of humans (e.g. oil spills, overfishing and overhunting, and the dumping of plastics and other pollutants into waterways) have had a devastating impact on marine life and ocean health. Over millennia oceans, lakes, and rivers have been exploited and the ongoing destruction has imperilled marine and ocean life.

In addition to poetry and selected verses, excerpts from well-known texts such as Rachel Carson’s The Sea Around Us and Alana Mitchell’s Sea Sick will complement some of the art images and poetry. Further research and reading of these texts and the valuable bibliographical resources each text provides can be helpful learning resources.

The sense of urgency to “save the oceans” and other bodies of water cannot be underestimated. As you view the way the sea and marine life are presented by writers and artists, reflect on your own thoughts about waterways and their inhabitants. In your view, what is needed to protect the oceans and repair the damage? How can we protect marine animals so that they can live without continued assault? Which images compel you to explore the sea and marine life more? Think of new ideas to connect the sea with different subject areas.

As you read the following poems and related texts connected to the visual images, jot down your thoughts about the sea. Consider:

1. The importance of freshwater lakes, oceans, seas, and rivers.
2. The symbolism of the sea and ocean as well as its mysteries.
3. The contrast between some of the idyllic beauty presented in the seascape images, marine life, and poems with the reality of ocean/sea life today.
4. The depletion and destruction of ocean/sea life due to intentional overhunting and pollution.
5. The depletion and destruction of ocean/sea/marine animal life as a result of a lack of awareness and empathy for all living things.
6. The ways oceans, lakes, and rivers have changed over time.
7. The impact of overfishing and the destruction of the coral reefs over the past millennia.
8. The impact of climate change on marine health.
9. Th impact of climate change on ice loss (and polar regions) that work to balance and regulate the earth’s climate.
10. The impact of climate change on marine mammals and sea creatures.
11. Specific ways that we can restore ocean/sea health.
12. The way art, photography, poetry, and related texts can inspire and activate positive action to restore marine life and health.
13. Local and global innovative efforts to raise greater awareness of ocean/sea/freshwater health.
14. Creative expression through ecopoetry (poetry about the environment) and art/photography to raise empathy and awareness of marine health.

How can we encourage children, youth, and adults to become more aware of the beauty and richness of our seas and oceans? The oceans that connect and sustain all life forms is in peril and greater empathy and awareness can reverse some of the damage. Individual and collaborative efforts are needed to restore balance and vibrancy. New life forms can be sustained and overall planetary health can improve. Events such as the United Nations World Oceans Day, celebrated annually on June 8, connects individuals and communities in order to share ideas and develop solutions to restore ocean health.

I invite you to add to the resources, texts, and art images in this module. Think of each module in my arts-based pedagogies project as an invitation to dialogue and exploration. Visual literacies can be integrated with all academic disciplines: the sciences, literature, non-fiction, journalism, drama, media studies, global issues, Indigenous studies, Global Citizenship Education (GCE), psychology, and so on. I’ve drawn upon art images and poetry in the public domain. Most images are from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Some art images date much earlier. In previous centuries the oceans were thought to be there for the taking. A lady’s boudoir would not be complete without corals, pearls, and precious nautilus shells that served decorative purposes. The values, beliefs, and attitudes about the natural world were rooted in conquering, ravishing, and destroying. It would be valuable and worthwhile to further investigate how substantive the changes in the terrain, geography, and water systems have been since the time the artists completed their works. Similar comparison can be made with the poetry.

I encourage you to write found poems based on some of the content in this module and create your own collection of images and texts. I also received the generous encouragement and permission to use selected art images from art galleries and museums around the world. Indeed, many galleries provide exceptional learning resources. I have provided links to many of these innovative and wonderful spaces of learning.