Question

nature trail poem analysis

Answer 1

Particularly during the 1980's and 1990's (when this poem was written) lots of education professionals had the idea that we could regenerate young people's interest in ecology (particularly in a responsible attitude toward the environment) by having 'urban nature trails' or 'petting farms': places of carefully-regulated 'wilderness' - usually near or in a built-up area - where schoolchildren could be taken by their teachers to be introduced to 'nature'. 

Benjamin Zephaniah's poem makes fun of the idea that we need to learn about 'nature'. He points out that any empty and undeveloped piece of ground has lessons to teach about wildlife and ecology. Instead of the bitterns and water voles and wild agrimony which a schoolchild might find in an 'urban wilderness' - anybody at all can find crane flies, woodlice, and even foxes on any undeveloped patch of open ground. 

The poem is making fun of - and criticising - the kind of 'education' which takes 'common knowledge' and tries to make a professional teaching experience out of it. Many of Zephaniah's poems complain about how 'education' estranges people (especially children) from the world which is all around them. This poem says that if you open your eyes, ears, and heart to the nature which is all around you - you won't really need to visit inner city nature reserves, or go on supervised nature trails under the watchful supervision of a teacher.