THE POSTHUMAN EVOLUTION OF HAZARDOUS TRANSCORPOREALITY TRACY K. SMITH'S POETICS OF WATER FROM THIRST TO WADE IN THE WATER

Abstract

This study analyzes Tracy K. Smith's poetry through the lens of ecological materialism and Stacy Alaimo's concept of transcorporeality, which emphasizes the fluidity and vitality of bodies and their interconnectedness. Tracing the evolution of Smith's ethicopolitical concerns, I explore the elemental and transcorporeal forces in her work that create a poetics of fluidity. Additionally, I argue that Smith's poetic trajectory marks a significant shift away from humanist frameworks, advancing toward a politically charged conception of Black marginality. By examining Smith's poem Watershed in relation to Muriel Rukeyser's The Book of the Dead, this study investigates the development of a posthuman lyric in Smith's later work, viewed through the lens of hazardous transcorporeality.