The Zen Relationship between Chinese Poetry and American Poetry

Zen has become especially popular after 1950 and the Zen craze of East Asia not only has become a kind of belief but also a way of life in America. Many American writers introduce, advocate, and concentrate on their Zen, and even go to the East to learn Zen. They applied the ideology, content and allusions of Chinese Zen to their works, so they have a close relationship with Chinese Zen. This article aims to analyze the poems of Kenneth Rexroth, Anthony Piccione, Gary Snyder and James P. Lenfesty to explore the mysterious relationship between Chinese and American poetry. These poets imitate the quiet beauty, wild freedom or orthodox of Zen poetry. Furthermore, each of them forms their own writing characteristics, thus creating a new realm of American poetry.