陶淵明的閒適形象一向深植人心，本論文希望發掘他在閒適形象以外的另一種面貌，探討時間焦慮的本質，明白其時間焦慮產生的原因，希望能探究出他為何會兼具閒適與時間焦慮，他為什麼為了時間而焦慮，如何化解時間焦慮以得閒適之樂。珍惜生命的他，在出仕與隱居的不同生命歷程中時間焦慮的變化、消長，如何對自我生命進行思索與抉擇。論文中並針對生命與時間的相對關係，看他在詩文中如何描寫在此種焦慮下，由面對時間的強烈衝激轉換為自我隨著時光向前的順應之道，以及其中所涉及藝術技巧的表現，希望能對這位詩人有更完整而不只是偏於單一面向的認識。

Tao Yuan-ming has long been regarded as a recluse, enjoying a leisurely life. This paper, however, explores a different aspect of his image that has also been reflected in his poetry and prose writings---his anxiety over the transition of time. The specific issues dealt with in this paper include the following: Why does the sense of anxiety prevail in some of his works? How did he try to reduce this level of anxiety? In which stage of his life, for instance, when he worked as a courtier or when he lived as a hermit, was the anxiety most apparent? This paper also focuses on his attempts to reach a balanced attitude between a sense of anxiety and that of leisure, as reflected in his extant works of poetry and prose.