Ecopoetry as Method: Reading Gary Snyder as a Cultural Mediator between China and the World

Abstract

Ecocriticism is a field that is inherently cross-cultural, and poetry is an art form that creates bonds across cultural communities. This paper focuses on Gary Snyder, a prominent poet in his own right, who is famous for his translation of the works by Chinese poet Han Shan. His attraction to Chinese classical poetry and Eastern civilization offers an alternative to the Western developmental paradigm, and the ecopoetry he espouses is pertinent to today’s environmental debates. His references to nature do not function merely as reminders that nature should be respected but as an impetus to reflect on the coexistence of multiple temporalities and agencies. This paper examines Chinese poetry’s inspirational effect on Snyder and analyzes his translations of Han Shan’s poetry. Snyder’s ecocritical insights have had a wide influence, particularly on the work of Hong Kong poet Xi Xi. This circulation of poetry offers a means of bridging Western and Eastern cultures. The mutual enrichment achieved by such cultural translations provides a means of transcending the simplistic dichotomies of the East and West.