avant-garde poetry from china 29contains plenty of irony. In this respect, Yu Jian, Xi Chuan and others
have opened new perspectives, starting in the 1980s and coming into
full swing in the 1990s.
In the work of several younger authors who build on that of their
predecessors and grew up at a time when solemn social and political
ideologies were fast losing ground, irony goes without saying and cyni-
cism is never far away. This is evident in Yin Lichuan’s use of literary
phraseology in «Why Not Make It Feel Even Better» (ЎҔМϡݡ㟦
᳡ϔѯ, 2000). Toward the end of the poem, which contains cynical
instructions to a clumsy man by a woman maximizing her sexual plea-
sure, Yin ridicules the Popular-Intellectual Polemic. There is more to
Lower Body poetry than irony, cynicism and sex, but this definitely
counts as one of its “representative works” (ҷ㸼):
«Why Not Make It Feel Even Better»
ah a little higher a little lower a little to the left a little to the right
this isn’t making love this is hammering nails
oh a little faster a little slower a little looser a little tighter
this isn’t making love this is anti-porn campaigning or tying your shoes
ooh a little more a little less a little lighter a little heavier
this isn’t making love this is massage writing poetry washing your hair your feet
why not make it feel even better huh make it feel even better
a little gentler a little ruder a little more Intellectual a little more Popular
why not make it feel even betterXi Chuan, Yu Jian and Yin Lichuan are accomplished reciters of their
own work, Xi Chuan the most musical and Yu Jian the most theatri-
cal. If Yin Lichuan likes to preface her readings by saying she’s not
much good at them, this comes across as part of her act. When reading
her poetry she studiously keeps her eyes on the page and away from
the audience. The detached, monotonous use of her voice combines
with bleak subject matter to produce an effect that is at once hilarious
and painful.
Yan Jun’s readings are sensational, because of the spectacular use of
his voice and the audio-visual media that support his recitation. His po-
etry breathes a jumpy, unruly type of social engagement, not unlike that
found in the above-mentioned extreme manifestations of Earthliness,
after the Popular-Intellectual Polemic. Yet, stylistically, «Against All