Dimension Of Ecological Appreciation In D. H. Lawrence’s Poetry

With more than three decades’ development, ecocriticism, aiming to value howmankind relates to the nonhuman surrounding environment in literature, has become anoutstanding approach in literary study. In the21stcentury, the theoretical scopes ofecocriticism have blurred. It does not only appreciate human and nonhuaman relation, butalso penetrates into the fields of studying society and human spirit.David Herbert Lawrence, though has long been regarded as a controversial literaryfigure due to his daring body language depiction, is now world-widely recognized as agenius English writer. Compared with the recognitions that novelist Lawrence received, therecognition that poet Lawrence gained is far less than adequate. Born and living in afast-industrialized epoch, Lawrence wanders his entire life between prosperous urbanregions and tranquil rural areas. Though the development of modern industrializationbrings unprecedented changes to people’s life, the newly-created machines and materialfortunes also exile the traditional European poetical life further and further away frommankind. Being a sensitive poet “without a mask,” Lawrence notices keenly the changestaking place in every single aspect of the world and notes them directly in his poetry withprofound ecological concerns. During his lifetime, Lawrence concerns not only the appealof the wildness and its collapse with threats from industrialization, but also pays numerousattentions to the changes of the society, human beings and their spirit. In his poems,Lawrence’s ecological appreciations towards nature, society and spirit are vividlypresented.Based on Laurence’s poetry only, this thesis aims to uncover his ecological aestheticconsciousness and his ecological thoughts. The whole thesis consists of seven parts.The FIRST Chapter starts with a critical review of Lawrence and his poetry fromthree aspects of “a poet of freedom,”“poetry of present” and “poet without a mask,” andpoints out that Lawrence’s profound ecological awareness can be traced in his poetrycreating ideology, themes, form and even in language. Then, a literature review ofresearches on Lawrence at home and abroad is offered. Besides, related theories ofecocriticism are illustrated and an experimental research on ecocriticism followed. After asystematical analysis on the concepts of ecology, deep ecology, ecologism, ecocritism andtheir core ideology, this study poses that ecocriticism is an approach of “relationship”. Based on the categorizing analysis about the abstract concepts of “relationship” and“harmony,” this thesis holds that “harmonious relationship” should be defined withconsiderations of “degree”. Moreover, three concepts of “harmony degree”,“relativeharmony” and “absolute harmony” are discussed. Finally, the studying significance isclarified.Chapter TWO elaborates Lawrence’s ecological appreciation towards nature fromthree respects: charm of wild nature, harmony of nature and human as well as break-up ofhuman and nature. Praising the liveliness of the wildness and the harmonious relationshipof man and nature are the positive ways to recall people’s awareness of regaining humananimal instinct and protecting nature, while criticizing the hostile relationship of man andnature is an indirect way uncovering the origins of modern ecocrisis, which is also anotherway to rectify people’s ecological ideology aiming to keep sustainable development.Chapter THREE explores Lawrence’s social ecological appreciation. Modernindustrialization deforms the society. The development of productivity richens people’smaterial life, but over materialism in return negatively affects social development andpeople’s life. Hierarchical system, capitalism, mechanization and urbanization distortrelationships among people. Therefore, this chapter deals with two relationships mainly:relationships of man and material as well as those among mankind.Chapter FOUR focuses on Lawrence’s spiritual ecological concern. The forming ofecocrisis, the existence of hierarchical system and capitalism, and the fast development ofmechanization are all closely related with people’s value system. And all these negativefactors in return alienate people’s spirit and the relations among them. Lives are lifeless,and spirit is dying. Hypocritical morality castrates people’s sex instincts in consciousness,depriving them of their natural instinct of life. Materialism destroys people’s emotion, andthey become numb, mad, indifferent and lifeless.Chapter FIVE adopts a long neglected topic of death in Lawrence’s poetry whenstudying his ecological concern. Killings of animals, withering of plants, death of lives,they are all disappearance of physical life forms, but they are also a new start of anotherlife in Lawrence’s ideology. Lawrence illustrates the flowing feature of life and concernsthe recycling of elements as well as the balancing principles of the ecosystem with aunique writing style of “writing death for life.” Behind death there rises another life; thisideology reflects Lawrence’s desire of the rebirth of life, society and spirit as well.Chapter SIX, based on Lawrence’s era and his experiences, uncovers the ecological philosphy of Lawrence’s ecological writing from two aspects: denying industrializationand pursuing poetical dwelling. In order to gain his own and all people’s poetical dwelling,Lawrence sings songs for the wildness, criticizing industrialization that destroyed thecharm of nature, society and people’s inner environment. And this chapter also points outthat to study Lawrence’s ecological concern in his poetry will bring significant inspiringeffects on the present modern ecocrisis.The LAST part brings a natural conclusion to the whole study. By summering itsmajor contributions and limitations, this thesis concludes Lawrence is an ecologicalavant-garde in poetry writing. Along with those, some suggestions for further studies areoffered.