true disbelief 89contact and communication, including communication through po-
etry. As such, Han’s poetics is one of disbelief.
Han’s disbelief is of the existential kind, and as such a “true” disbe-
lief when set off against the early Bei Dao’s over-exposed declaration,
made in «Answer»: I—don’t—be—lieve! (៥—ϡ—Ⳍ—ֵ!).^32 The lat-
ter is really another way of saying I—do—be—lieve, in humanist values
such as the dignity of the individual self, who is a member of a com-
munity governed by social justice.^33 «Answer» is typical of Bei Dao’s
early work, in that it is fundamentally an expression of faith. I—don’t—
be—lieve is a declaration of rebellion but at the same time essentially
affirmative in nature, on two levels. First, as part of the poem in its
entirety, it operates within a grand narrative that shows the linger-
ing influence of Maoist discourse. Second, beyond the surface of the
semantics of the phrase as an isolated one-liner, the scope of Bei Dao’s
belief is much larger than that of his disbelief. By contrast, Han Dong’s
existential disbelief permeates his writing from beginning to end.
Han Dong’s disbelief is positively defined. It is embodied in an oeu-
vre that is not just a commentary on other poetries but a complex,
primary text in its own right.
(^32) Yan Yuejun et al 1985: 1; for a full English translation by Bonnie McDougall,
see Bei Dao 1988: 33. My rendition of the poem’s most famous line aims to retain
the emphatic, four-syllable rhythm of the original.
(^33) Cf Zhang Hong 2003: 67-68.