Dear Future Generations: Sorry

“Dear Future Generations: Sorry” is an address written and spoken to future generations of Earth. Framed as a letter and direct address, the poem clearly states its subject (the future generations of the planet) and its message (that of an apology). Themes and tones of regret and lament are apparent from the start of the poem when the speaker states, “I think I speak for the rest of us when I say / Sorry” (Lines 2-3). Speaking for the entirety of humanity, the speaker apologizes for the “mess of a planet” (Line 3) that the future generation will inherit. Expanding on this lament, the speaker opens with two reasons why the planet has been destroyed: “Sorry that we were too caught up in our own doings to do something” (Line 4) and “Sorry we listened to people who made excuses / To do nothing” (Lines 5-6).

Regret is apparent in Line 7 when the speaker openly asks for forgiveness, followed by a truth: “We just didn’t realize how special earth was” (Line 8). What follows this is a long list. Beginning with “For example” (Line 11), the speaker lists why Earth is so special, and why it should be cherished rather than demolished. The speaker introduces trees (aware that the present generation they’re addressing has never seen a tree) and shares why he sees them as so valuable and amazing. “We literally breathe the air / They are creating” (Lines 19-20), the speaker states, followed by how they “Give us medicine that cures our diseases, food that feeds us” (Line 22). The poem moves between praising trees and confronting the truth that though trees are wonderful, present-day humanity is cutting them down for money. Statistics are sometimes used to amplify a point, and in line 26, the speaker states that trees are being cut down “At a rate of 40 football fields every minute” (Line 26). Statistics like these are included to shock the reader into understanding the magnitude of environmental destruction happening at the moment of the poem’s composition, and to instill a sense of urgency and responsibility in the reader/listener.

The poem often oscillates between the speaker apologizing (giving reasons as to why the earth has been destroyed) and lamenting this destruction as unfortunate. For example, Lines 32-35 state, “You know when I was a child / I read how the Native Americans had such consideration / For the planet that they felt responsible / For how they left the land for the next 7 generations” (Lines 32-35). These lines of cultural history are followed by “Which brings me great sorrow, because most of us today / Don’t even care about tomorrow” (Lines 36-37). Here the speaker indicates the change in stewardship and care for the environment and Earth that humanity depends on for food, water, and existence. The speaker then apologizes for the wrongdoings done when he says, “So I’m sorry, I’m sorry that we put profit above people / Greed over need [...] / I’m sorry we used nature as a credit card” (Lines 38-40). Prince Ea structures “Dear Future Generations: Sorry” as a back and forth in which the speaker moves between apologizing, educating, and lamenting. The poem is both an eye-opening view into early 21st century environmentalism, a lament for all that has already been lost over the previous fifty years, and a call to action to change our collective way of life.

The poem is global, broadening its scope to the entire planet. To do this, the speaker juxtaposes American attitudes with environmental threats experienced in foreign communities. The speaker states, “Hey Fox News, if you don’t think climate change is a threat / I dare you to interview the thousands of homeless people in Bangladesh” (Lines 48-49). Here, Prince Ea challenges climate change deniers by inviting them to speak with those living in communities who have been directly affected by climate disasters. The speaker states, “Their homes were literally washed away / Beneath their feet due to the rising sea levels” (Lines 51-52). The poem continues this way, calling out Sarah Palin, a Republican politician from Alaska, and includes other contemporary political references, such as ISIS (Line 60), which the speaker feels has distracted Americans from the conversation around climate change.

The poem takes a dramatic shift in tone in Line 65 when the speaker says, “You know what, cut the beat, I’m not sorry” (Line 65). The speaker, who up until this point has sorrowfully lamented the loss of trees, clean air to breathe, and nature in general, suddenly stops apologizing. Instead, the poem becomes a call to action: “This future I do not accept it / Because an error does not become a mistake / Until you refuse to correct it” (Lines 66-68). Although the speaker is ostensibly speaking to “Future Generations,” this is a rhetorical device for addressing the present-day reader/listener that works particularly well as a form of persuasion. The speaker has pivoted, in a sort of volta, breaking the fourth wall by suddenly asking the reader directly, “We can redirect this, how?” (Line 69). In this moment, Prince Ea shifts the focus from the hypothetical future listener to the present-day reader/listener, urging them to stand up and demand change.

In the conclusion of the poem, the speaker lists ways that modern readers can help stop and reverse climate change. For example, “We must look at the root / And not the branches of the government / Not the politicians run by corporations / We are the root, we are the foundation, this generation” (Lines 73-76). The speaker claims that one cannot look to those in power to fix the greatest problems in the world; the greatest problems in the world must be fixed by the people themselves through the power of their everyday actions. Now fully addressing the listener, the speaker asserts, “It is up to us to take care of this planet” (Line 77).

The poem concludes with the word “Sorry” (Line 90), indicating that this truth is difficult to speak, while acknowledging it is also difficult to hear. The speaker states that it does not matter what one is fighting for, whether it is “Racism, Poverty, Feminism, Gay Rights / Or any type of Equality” (Lines 84-86) because “It won’t matter in the least / Because if we don’t all work together to save the environment / We will be equally extinct” (Lines 87-89). These final lines arrive at the heart of the speaker’s message, that humanity can only save the planet by setting aside individual struggles and working together.