The Han Shan Complex Of Philip Whalen

Philip Whalen (1923–2002), one of the most famous San Francisco Renaissancepoets in the1950s, is the first Zen poet in American literature. His poems conjure upmany Oriental elements which are embodied by its abundant Zen Buddhist thoughts,Oriental hermit spirit and his detached attitude toward life.This thesis, based its methodology on Redfield and Linton’s notion of“acculturation”, intends to explore the Han Shan Complex in Whalen from theperspective of variation. Acculturation, in Redfield’s view, is a phenomenon causedby groups of individuals from different cultures when they are exposed to first-handforeign culture either in the original cultural modes or the other. Influenced by hisbeat counterpart Gary Snyder, Whalen began to know Han Shan and internalized HanShan’s way of life as his own lifestyle, poetic creation and spiritual quest. The HanShan complex would be explored from three aspects. First, the personal experienceof Whalen follows the track of getting to know Han Shan, leading a secluded life inhigh mountains, and finally converting to Buddhism. Second, Whalen and Han Shanhave shared insight in poetic creation and Whalen inventively rewrites the Han Shanimages. Third, the Buddhist thoughts represented from the respect of the detachmentfrom the mainstream culture, meditation for a sense of well-being, deep sympathyfor all sentient beings, and enlightening wisdom for the society echoes Han Shanspirit.Through a comparative study of Whalen and Han Shan, this thesis articulates anadaptive process of a foreign culture. His pursuit for Han Shan spirit also turns outto be a refinement of his unique personality remaining as a contemporary Americanpoet. As an exotic culture, the Tang hermit poet Han Shan has spatiotemporal impact,on American San Francisco-Beat writers.