The Adaptation Of Chinese Traditional Cultural Elements In Gary Snyder’s Ecopoetry

Gary Snyder is one of the famous poets since the20thcentury in contemporaryAmerica, who is often regarded as the poet laureate of Deep Ecology. In hisecopoetry, Snyder juxtaposes different cultures from the Occidental and Orientaltraditions. The former mainly refers to American Indian culture and Anglo Old andMiddle English, while the latter obviously indicates Chinese, Japanese, and Indiancultures.Based on Hans-Georg Gadamer’s theory of “fusion of horizons”, the thesisattempts to explore the adaptation of Chinese traditional cultural elements inSnyder’s ecopoetry. Gadamer contends that Vorurteil (prejudice) of the reader willhave an impact on fusion of horizons. According to Snyder’s historical and socialcircumstance, these factors which help to form his Vorurteil (prejudice) will beinvestigated. Concerning the fusion of horizons with Chinese culture, its process isalso the adaptation of Chinese traditional cultural elements in Snyder’s ecopoetry,which will be thoroughly investigated all in the ranges from philosophy, poetry toarts. Firstly, how the poet employs idiosyncratic ecological ideas from Confucianism,Daoism and Chinese Chan Buddhism; Secondly, how the poet borrows creativeinspiration from Chinese Tang and Song poems, whose writing style and themes areadopted by Snyder to write his ecopoetry; Thirdly, how the poet sets up a bridgeamong Chinese landscape painting, Chinese characters, ecological thoughts andpoetry, and how he makes Chinese culture and ecopoetry become a harmoniousoneness.The thesis maintains that there are at least two phases about Snyder’s fusion ofhorizons with Chinese culture. The first phase begins with his understanding andinterpreting of a text, during which his horizon enters that of the text. It will not enduntil the reader finishes understanding the text. After that, the two horizons fusewith each other. At the second phase, Snyder transfers his identity from a reader to apoet. He employs the cultural elements absorbed from the text to his poetic creation.In order to domesticate Chinese traditional culture, he artistically recreates thosecultural elements in the process of appropriating them into ecopoetry.After the phases of fusion of horizons, the process of adapting Chinesetraditional culture in Snyder’s ecopoetry is also completed. At last, the thesis willexplore some of Snyder’s adaptive principles which transplant Chinese traditional culture into his ecopoetry.