Melancholy versus Delight: An Analysis of Different Feelings of “Autumn” Based on Sunny Sand: Autumn Thoughts from Ma Zhiyuan and To Autumn from John Keats

Chinese traditional literary works are usually filled with sadness and melancholy, and in the view of Chinese literati, autumn signifies separation and remoteness; however, in the context of western literature, autumn symbolizes harvest, romance and delight. This paper takes Sunny Sand: Autumn Thoughts from Ma Zhiyuan and To Autumn from John Keats as examples to analyze the different feelings of “autumn” by eastern and western poets. Then, it explores the reasons for the differences to enhance cross-cultural communication.