An Ecological Study Of D. H. Lawrence’s Poems

On the theoretical basis of ecocritisism, this thesis conducts a close reading anddeep analysis of D. H. Lawrence’s poems, and studies the ecological consciousness ofD. H. Lawrence.Lawrence’ ecological consciousness covers every existence and phenomenon innature. He mentioned that every individual in the universe possesses a soul or spirit.Non-human life and inorganic existence enjoy the same value and right as humans.Nature is the home for human and non-human life forms, and the life of human isclosely bond up with every element in the cosmos. Lawrence eulogized the divinityand vitality of non-human life. With regard to the disaster and distinction of animalspecies, Lawrence pointed out the root lie in Christianity and western philosophy,which stressed rationalism and depreciated animals. Based on his faith in ecologicalholism, Lawrence wrote quantities of poems on the “lower animals”, and hadpioneering description of animal sex and extolled the natural instinct, which served todeconstruct anthropocentrism.The second chapter studies Lawrence’s ecological consciousness in love,marriage and sex in his poems. He developed the “star equilibrium” in love andmarriage. Built upon individual singleness and self integrity of lovers, the harmoniouslove and marriage is the unison of soul and the body, and the balance of love and hate.Lawrence advocated the primitive instinct of life and believed in the supremacy ofblood-consciousness over sex. The sex theory of Lawrence can be interpreted fromthree aspects: Firstly, sex is pure, sacred and powerful. Secondly, sex is the origin oflife. Thirdly, sex is the door to the maturity, integrity and renewal of life.The third chapter discusses Lawrence’s fighting against the mechanicalcivilization in his poems. The mechanical civilization cleaved man’s bond with natureand turn the laborer into slaves of machines. The primitive interpersonal relationshipswere eroded by the bare relationship of money and profit. Man lost his soul among thewasteland of mechanical civilization. Lawrence criticized the industrial machines, theindustrial system and the unequal social status of different classes. He attempted toestablish a Utopian society, which could not be fulfilled for the lack of thorough social revolution.In his later poems, Lawrence concentrated on the ecological meditation ofthanatopsis. Lawrence accepted and extolled death as a rule of nature, which ensuredthe circulation and progress of life and served to maintain ecological equilibrium.Death was not the despairing end point but the starting of new life. Furthermore,Lawrence regarded death as the access toward renewal of human soul. The emptinessand alienation of the soul in the modern industrial civilization would achieve theultimate peace and purification through death. Last but not least, death led to therebirth of new life. The circle of life and death was the law of nature, whichguaranteed the eternality of nature. The sacrifice of old life nourished the rebirth ofthe new, as the phoenix rising from the ashes, casting off the decadence and evil ofold life of the pure divine new life.Through poetry, Lawrence had serious contemplation on life, nature, humansociety and death, probed into the essence of human existence. His philosophy on love,marriage and sex offered significant guidance to establishing harmonious relationshipbetween men and woman in our modern society. Lawrence’s poems demonstrated hisforward-looking consideration and concern over the ecological crisis, which enabledhim to stand as the pioneering ecological poet and the most respectable spiritualwarriors of world literary history.