Nature and Self: A Study of the Poetry of Su Dongpo, with Comparisons to the Poetry of William Wordsworth

This book is a comparative analysis of the poetry of Su Dongpo (1036-1101) and William Wordsworth. It focuses on the two poets' concepts of nature and the self with particular emphasis on their gradual change of thought from this worldliness to otherworldliness. Employing various approaches - thematic, philosophical, and biographical - the author presents an original perspective of the major works of Su and Wordsworth. Although the book deals primarily with these two literary figures, it also successfully explores the similarities and differences between the classical Chinese and Western Romantic traditions that they represent.