A. R. Ammons's Poetics of Motion and Oriental Philosophy

Abstract

A. R. Ammons's poetry demonstrates a profound engagement with oriental philosophy, particularly bearing the traces of I Ching and Dao De Jing, which informs his distinctive poetics of motion. Central to his thought is a metaphysical model grounded in the dynamic interplay among zero, one, and many—corresponding respectively to the notions of "Wuji," "Taiji" and "yin-yang" in the Chinese philosophy of changes. Beyond poetic principle, these elements structure Ammons's exploration of changes as both personal emotion and ecological existential condition, forming what might be called an "E-motion" that links his inner transformation with natural movement. Through recursive patterns, Ammons constructs a poetics that affirms flux and order, offering a unique philosophical vision of poetic being, that is, the idea of change inherent with a balance between permanent change and changelessness.

Keywords

A. R. Ammons / oriental philosophy / motion / zero-one-many / change

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