| This study examines the varied expressions of time in Chinese poetry from Shang and Chou to the end of Sui dynasty (12th cent. B.C.-7th cent. A.D.). It hypothesizes that man's desire for immortality derives from his awareness of the passage of time, and his conception of time is the result of his observation of changes that occur in the universe. In addition, temporal duration varies as man's emotion changes. In other words, it depends on the emotional state of the individual in question. Time can also be measured through movement in space.; Chapter one is a background discussion, introducing first, the evolution of the concept of time in the West, then, a history of the concept of time in ancient China.; Chapters two and three present a discussion of time and physical immortality. Chapter two treats the controversy over immortality in the Chinese classics and philosophical works. This lays the foundation for the discussion to follow. In chapter three, I try to show how pre-T'ang poets, in writing poems on roaming immortals, reveal their desire for physical immortality and their inconsistent belief in physical immortality.; Chapter four deals with symbolic immortality in pre-T'ang poetry. Individual achievements such as moral virtue, merit, and literary works were considered immortal by the Chinese. Realizing the impossibility of physical immortality, the Chinese turned to symbolic immortality. For men of letters, this meant eternal literary fame.; Chapter five takes up the issue of cyclic time and rhythmic changes, changes such as seasons, years, and the movement of certain heavenly bodies. Man's concept of cyclic time originates from the observation of these recurring changes.; Chapter six examines the question of linear time and permanent change. The fading of flowers, the flow of a stream, and graying hair, all irrevocable changes, gave man a sense of the linear passage of time.; The last chapter includes a discussion of subjective time and spatial time. Examples of both these concepts of time are given not only from pre-T'ang poetry but also from Western poetry. |
