Nature and Life Writing: A Comparative Study of Henry David Thoreau and Tao Qian

In American literature, Henry David Thoreau is the most well-known writer whose life in the woods laid the foundation for writing about nature and his life as a philosophical reflection, which became important for American transcendentalism. In classical Chinese literature, Tao Qian is the most famous poet whose writing also constitutes an autobiographical reflection on nature and life that became influential in the whole literary tradition. It is interesting to compare the two writers for some insights that may bear on our own time and environment and provide some valuable lessons.