| Abstract |
Synopsis: Man is destined to death as soon as he is born. Death highlights the limitation of human life. Therefore, life and death always has been the major subject for which many thinkers would concern. Whenever a poet found himself being gradually senile, or when he encountered the death by his families, he would subtly sense the truth and nature of death by his sentimental intuition. Be it not so profound as a philosopher′s metaphysical thinking, it is but then closer to the real feeling of ordinary people. Thus I choose 19 pieces of ancient poetry, the poetry of Tao Yuan-ming, and the poetry in the prosperous age of Tang Dynasty to review ancient Chinese poets′ concern on life and death. One can notice their annoyance is coming from the exclamation of life “being too short to seize.” Death enforced those poets to confront the time limit of life, from which also stimulated them to ponder the meaning and value of existence. They tried to find out ways of relief, and then surpass the suffering of life and death. They wished to search for the infinite from the definite, which was also the earnest longing of humanity since ancient time till present day. Keyword: Life, Life and Death, Death, Time, Consciousness of time, The poetry of Tao Yuan-ming, The poetry in the prosperous age of Tang Dynasty, 19 pieces of ancient poetry. |
