Listening to the Swan Song: More-than-Human Beings and Sounds in Literature and Culture Through the Ages

The volume explores the manner in which literature and culture across various historical periods have responded to the sounds produced by more-than-human beings. The study examines both symbolic and literal representations of these voices, demonstrating how they shape human imagination and interspecies relations. The book is structured in three parts: the first analyses symbolic soundscapes; the second focuses on encounters and exchanges between species; and the third highlights ethical and technological efforts to protect endangered animals and to commemorate those already lost.