A Study of Eco-psychology Writing in Gary Snyder’s Mountains and Rivers Without End from Classic Chinese Thoughts

Abstract

Gary Snyder spent forty years writing a book of ecological poetry titled Mountains and Rivers Without End. The harmonious relationship between humans and the environment is depicted in these poems, which are full of profound ecological meaning. This condition of harmony aligns with the meanings of traditional Chinese thought, such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. The aim of this paper is to apply traditional Chinese thought to the eco-psychological writings in Mountains and Rivers Without End. It examines how humans and the environment interact in the poem using the theories and techniques of eco-psychology. Beyond this, it unpacks Snyder’s ecological vision—probing how ecological systems shape human psychology and the dynamic reciprocity between people and their surroundings—while laying bare the poet’s deepest convictions, emotional currents, and wellsprings of creativity.