Zhangzi And Keats: "Materialization" And "Negative Capability"

Many have noticed that there are some similar ideas or concepts in Western and Chinese poetics, Zhuangzi's "Materialization" and John Keats' "Negative Capability" are examples of this kind. Some critics have noticed their similarities and mentioned this in their articles. However my thesis will focus on their contrasts and differences with a closer examination of their cultural background.Since both of these two terms were put up as a demand for the writer, I will arrange my comparisons from the poets' perspective. This article will be divided into four chapters. The first chapter deals with the most superficial difference between the two, that is their different state of mind, with a simple mention of their commonness, I will focus my study on their difference, that is, "materialization" invites a kind of spiritual concentration besides the seeming passiveness, while "negative capability" put emphasis on the negative ability of the mind; I will explore this difference further into their different aims or intentions for art creation, that is the content of the second chapter, in this chapter, I will explain that the intention of those Chinese poets applying "materialization" is to find identification with the "Tao" lying behind, it has a very strong cognitive intention; but Keats' aim was mainly aesthetic, he took the sense of beauty as his final aim.The third chapter will deal with their different modes of cognition, Zhuangzi adopted an intuitive method in observing his objects, while Keats fully trusted his perception. The last chapter will make a comparison of the historical views concerning the subject-object relationship, the traditional harmonious relationship between man and nature in China and the unbending belief of the conflicts between human and the world in western culture can serve as the most essential difference and contribute directly to all the differences above.