An Comparative Analysis of Romanticism in Poems of Shelley and Li Bai

Abstract

Romanticism is one of the basic creative methods in literature. It attaches emphasis on imagination, idealism and emotional sensitivity. In China, The Songs of Chu created in the Warring States Time declared the beginning of romantic literature and in Tang dynasty, Li Bai developed it to its climax. In the West, Romanticism became popular during the 18th and 19th centuries. 

In all the romantic poets in the East and West, Shelley and Li Bai, lived in different continents and ages. When their poems was analyzed from the angle of romanticism, people can find many differences. At the same time, there were many common things in their poems which deserve to be explored and researched.

This essay is divided into four parts. The first part mainly expounds the theoretical foundation of romanticism. The second part explores the reason why Shelley and Li Bai could create so many great poems in different environments and eras. The third part analyses the similarities in Shelley and Li Bai’s poems, such as the advocation of nature, the reference of imagination and exaggeration, the sympathy for poor people and the care for the country. The fifth part researches the differences in Shelley and Li Bai’s poems. The last part discusses the practical significance of the study of romanticism in contemporary romantic literature creation. Though the age in which romantic poems were popular has passed, its influence and spirit of will never fade.

Key words: romanticism; similarities; differences; Shelley; Li Bai