并列篇名
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Aspiration for Life and Contemplation of Death: Self-Discrimination in and Explanation of "Form, Shadow, and Spirit" ("Xing, Ying, Shen")
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英文摘要
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The main idea of the poem "Form, Shadow, and Spirit" ("Xing, Ying, Shen") by Tao Yuan-ming can be explained using two approaches: The first approach is to clearly identify the meaning of "spirit" ("shen") in the poem, and the second approach is to elaborate Tao's attitude toward death by analyzing the dialog method he used. According to the first approach, the "spirit" consciousness mentioned in this poem is derived from the basis of "heart," a term indicating a state of mind in which the spirit is at one with nature and an individual lives and enjoys the wonder (telepathy) of life. Underlying the "spirit" consciousness is the desire of the heart, experienced by Tao as emotional needs. The desire was apparent when Tao faced death: he was not as detached or as free-spirited as most people think, nor did he use his calm "spirit" consciousness to negate the pursuance of physical needs and societal values. However, he realized that form and shadow exist only temporarily and, thus, cannot be obtained. Substantiality in existence should be built on the physical body, and life should be lived by following the heart and nature. The second approach can be applied to explain that, although Tao used dialog to explain and convince himself of his attitude toward death, he did not thoroughly resolve the contradiction between fame and death. Through the dialogs in other poems, we can observe that Tao concealed thoughts and worries between the lines of his poems, particularly regarding his attachment to fame, which is emphasized in the meaning of "shadow" in the poem "Form, Shadow, and Spirit". This hidden meaning verifies the common view of numerous scholars regarding Tao: The words in his poems, which appear to describe a detached, calm, and free-spirited character, do not reflect the whole truth. Behind his composure and confidence hid tumultuous emotional contradictions and struggles.
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