A Comparative Study Of The Ecological Thought Of Robert Frost And Tao Yuanming

Ecocriticism is a "green" critical current emerging in the literary field out of the worsening global ecological crisis under the influence of the upsurge of environmental preservation movements. It is the study of the relationship among literature, nature and culture. By aiming to expose the ideological and cultural sources of ecological crises, eocriticism explores the ecological insight and wisdom embodied in literary works so as to arouse people’s ecological consciousness and realize the harmonious development between nature and man.Far apart in time, space, and writing styles, the ecological thought of Frost and Tao Yuanming serves as a bridge in culture that links the West and the East. From the perspectives of ecocriticism, this thesis explores their ecological implications embodied in their works and argues that they have rich ecological ideas about natural ecology, spiritual ecology and social ecology by adopting the strategies of comparison and analyzing as its major method of investigation and drawing on such critical approaches as biographical criticism and psychological criticism in the process of interpretation. They share the similarities of full appreciation of nature’s value, their deep respect for nature, their peaceful and harmonious return to nature, their materially-simple but spiritually-rich life in nature and construction of inner harmony. And they diverge from their views of nature and critique of the social realities. This thesis also explores the hidden reasons for the similarities and differences of Frost’s and Tao Yuanming’s ecological consciousness. Many factors including the poets’personal experiences, social environment and multi-cultural factors are contributing to the formation of the two poets’ecological thoughts.This comparative study intends not only to explore the similarities and differences in their ecological thought to achieve a better understanding of Frost’s and Tao Yuanming’s works, but more importantly, to arouse we human being’s ecological consciousness and to call on us on the necessity to be harmonious with nature. This research offers fresh insight into the comparative study of Frost and Tao Yuanming in the hope of contributing more profound literary and cultural communication between the East and the West in the era of ecological crisis.