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Nature writing is nonfiction or fiction prose about the natural environment. It often draws heavily from scientific information and facts while also incorporating philosophical reflection upon various aspects of nature. Works are frequently written in the first person and include personal observations.
Nature writing encompasses a wide variety of works, ranging from those that place primary emphasis on natural history (such as field guides) to those focusing on philosophical interpretation. It includes poetry, essays of solitude or escape, as well as travel and adventure writing.[1]
Modern-day nature writing traces its roots to works of natural history that initially gained popularity in the second half of the 18th century, and continued to do so throughout the 19th century. An important early figure in nature writing was the parson-naturalist Gilbert White (1720–1793),[2] a pioneering English naturalist and ornithologist. He is best known for writing Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789).
William Bartram (1739–1823) was another significant American pioneer naturalist who became a respected figure in literary and scientific communities after his first work was published in 1791.[3]
- ^ Lyon, Thomas Jefferson (2001). This Incomparable Land: A Guide to American Nature Writing. Milkweed Editions. ISBN 978-1-57131-256-3.
- ^ Gosse, Edmund (1903). English Literature: From Milton to Johnson. London: William Heinemann. pp. 375–378.
- ^ Parramore, Thomas C. (1979). "Bartram, William". NCPedia. Retrieved 23 March 2024.