“The form is intended to convey a geographical sense of The Netherlands and England of being on each side of the North Sea. The Doggerland section spans across the page over the two other sections to symbolise that once the two countries were part of the same land mass.”
Inundation
This poem is beautifully atmospheric; within it, both humanity and geology feel relentless, albeit impermanent. Did you strive to convey that relentlessness or did it appear of its own accord?
I’m glad that the feeling of relentlessness (or, perhaps, inevitability) comes over in the poem. I think the subject of the power of the sea, the contant erosion of land by the sea and the forces of climate change demands a feeling of relentlessness in its depiction. So, for the most part, it appeared of its own accord. The exception to this is in the Doggerland section, where I deliberately omitted punctuation in order to give a sense of one development flowing and interlacing with another whilst always moving on.
Globally, many places have been affected, or will be affected, by changes in climate and rising sea levels. What was it about Doggerland, Zandmotor and Dunwich specifically that appealed as subjects?
In their different ways, all three places have a personal resonance. You mentioned earlier that my poem is atmospheric. In fact, Dunwich on the East Anglian coast is one of the most atmospheric places I have visited. Its rather bleak beauty is intensified when you learn that what is now a very small village was once a thriving port and bustling city, boasting ten churches and two priories. Severe storms in the 13th and 14th centuries caused lower lying land to be submerged and the higher ground eroded, a process which still continues today. A metaphor for human transience in the face of overwhelming forces!
As a name, Dogger seems to have been in my consciousness from an early age, hearing it on the shipping forecast on the radio (or wireless, as we called it then) in my childhood and later learning about the Dogger Bank at school. As someone who is fascinated by prehistory, it was exciting to discover that the area which is now the North Sea had once been dry land occupied by Stone Age people. My interest was further piqued when I read about the Zandmotor coastal protection project and the fact that a wealth of prehistoric artefacts had been unearthed, adding to our knowledge of the land and people of Doggerland. Again, it’s an example of the transience of human activity.
I’m impressed with the way in which you move from deep time, to the present day, and back to the medieval period. How does the traversing of time in this poem relate to the form you’ve chosen for it? Did you consider presenting the three sections differently (e.g. chronologically)?
I don’t think presenting the poem chronologically would work at all and would result in a rather dull poem. It needs to sweep back and fore through time to aid the meaning of the poem.
The form is also intended to convey a geographical sense of The Netherlands and England of being on each side of the North Sea. The Doggerland section spans across the page over the two other sections to symbolise that once the two countries were part of the same land mass.
Please share with us the one thing that’s transformed your writing practice that you wish you knew earlier.
In my early years of writing poetry I attended many workshops led by experienced poets. I always appreciated the suggestions made during these sessions and usually edited my work accordingly. However, occasionally I disagreed with their suggestions and worried as to whether I should edit my work along the lines suggested (conscious that they were much more experienced in poetry than myself) or go with my own instincts. Eventually I discussed this with one of the workshop leaders. Her advice was that I needed to take responsibility for my own work. I found this very helpful. Nowadays I still get my poetry workshopped and consider all suggestions made but if, after careful consideration I don’t agree, I am confident in my making my own editing choices.
Iris Anne Lewis
Iris Anne Lewis (she/her) is widely published. She has been featured in Black Bough Poetry and has won or been placed in a number of competitions, including being highly commended in the Wales Poetry Award and the Poetry Society’s Stanza competition. Her first collection Amber was published in 2024.
How I Write a Poem is our bi-monthly interview series digging in to the nitty-gritty of poetry writing. Explore the full series here.
