New Perspectives on Contemporary Chinese Poetry

the writing of Classical Poetry have mushroomed in mainland China.

Some Modern poets and critics are worried that the trend may further

marginalize Modern Poetry. As a longtime student of Modern Poetry,

I do not share their concern. Rather, I agree with Hu Shi who declared

some eighty years ago: every age has its own literature. With its

inexhaustible ability to express, in contemporary language and

unlimited forms, human experience in all its richness, Modern Poetry

is the “living literature” of our time.

Notes

1. I use “Modern Poetry” or “Modern Chinese Poetry” to refer to poetry
   written in modern vernacular Chinese in nontraditional forms and I use
   “Classical Poetry” to refer to poetry written in classical Chinese in
   traditional forms. These terms designate the genres rather than periods of
   time, as Classical Poetry has been written throughout the twentieth century
   and is still being written in the twenty-first century.


2. Interest in translated literature is not limited to Chinese poets, of course; it
   has been prevalent in China throughout the twentieth century. To this day,
   translation is a standard feature in Chinese journals and literary supple-
   ments to newspapers. In sharp contrast to North America or Europe,
   translations make up a significant percentage of literary works and often
   top the bestseller lists in the Chinese-speaking world, whether mainland
   China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan.


3. It is interesting to note that in ancient Greece the human soul is represented
   as a butterfly. It cannot be ruled out that Dai Wangshu fused the Daoist
   and Ancient Greek meanings of the image here.

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