Han Shan, Chan Buddhism and Gary Snyder's Ecopoetic Way (The Liverpool Library of Asian & Asian American Studies)

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Synopsis
This book is a comparative study of the ninth-century Chinese poet and recluse Han Shan (Cold Mountain) and Gary Snyder, an American poet and environmental activist. Joan Tan explains how Chan Buddhism has the potential to be recognised as an important voice in contemporary ecopoetry. Mountain-seeing Chan/Zen theory and the nature -- Chan mirror are employed as aesthetic criteria to explicate the dual discourses -- spiritual and aesthetic -- which exist in Han Shan and Snyder's poetry and life work. Snyder's goal of establishing one ecosystem for all communities encouraged him to adopt Han Shan as an ideal (albeit Chinese mythical) model and Chan Buddhism as a global subculture representing environmental values. This book investigates how Snyder interweaves Chinese cultural sources in an eclectic way to impose a sense of place, a sense of mission and a sense of energy in his ecopoetry. His unique ideogrammatic method -- riprapping -- developed as a result of his literary indebtedness to the Oriental tradition, makes for a forceful statement on contemporary ecology. Through Snyder's successful translation, Han Shan has been revived as an immortal Beat Poet (Jack Kerouac features prominently in the chapters), while Cold Mountain has emerged as synonymous with enlightenment. Snyder himself has become an exemplary representative of an American Han Shan. The poetic line extending from Han Shan through to Chan/Zen to contemporary ecology is considered here as a continuum -- a continuum profoundly enhanced by Snyder's remarkable achievement of eco-wholeness -- the original goal of Han Shan in his ecopoetry. Complemented with full Chinese character text and Glossary.
Copyright:
2009

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
299 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781837642564
Related ISBNs:
9781845193416
Publisher:
Liverpool University Press
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
N/A
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Poetry, Art and Architecture, Literature and Fiction, Religion and Spirituality, Language Arts
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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