Plant Consciousness in Indian English Poetry: Case Studies of Toru Dutt, Mamang Dai, and Meena Alexander

This article explores the representation of plant consciousness in Indian English poetry, with a special reference to the works of Toru Dutt, Mamang Dai, and Meena Alexander. Drawing on recent studies in plant studies and traditional Indian philosophical concepts, the article examines how these poets reimagine flora not as passive or decorative elements, but as feeling and conscious beings who play vital roles in memory, identity, and ecological ethics. Dutt’s “Our Casuarina Tree” evokes vegetal agency; Dai’s work reflects indigenous cosmology where plants partake in spiritual and communal life; Alexander’s diasporic poetics uses botanical imagery as a mnemonic and affective link to homeland. These poetic engagements go beyond the clichéd human-centred thinking, and affirm the co-agency of plant life in literature and culture. Through close analysis of key poems, the article contributes to a broader understanding of plant consciousness in Indian English literature.