Discussions on the Art of Contemporary Chinese Realist Poetry

Author: Jiang Xiquan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The overall argument of the book is clear: "Starting from the fundamental principles of art theory, it proposes a new trajectory for the overall operation of modern Chinese poetry. Then, within this developmental chain, it examines several representative poetic phenomena—early vernacular poetry, Lu Xun's vernacular poems, Zang Kejia, and the typical works of the July Poetry School. Finally, it intentionally selects a few examples of realist poetry for "sampling" analysis. Although the book appears as a collection of seemingly casual theoretical essays, it systematically investigates and interprets the academic topic of realist modern art, which has been "intentionally or unintentionally simplified or even ignored." In the theoretically weighty introduction, the author attempts to address a particularly challenging theoretical issue. As for the artistic characteristics and aesthetic qualities of modern Chinese poetry's realism, this remains a theoretical topic awaiting further exploration. Only by drawing on the creative traditions of ancient poetry classics and the rich practices of modern poetry, by closely integrating theory and phenomenon, by drawing from the abundant theoretical interpretations and creative features from both China and the world, and by delving into the complex artistic creations and theoretical reflections left by our nation's proud great poets such as Du Fu, Bai Juyi, and Ai Qing, can we excavate, generalize, and elevate some principled rational insights. This will help us find the lifeblood and artistic personality that justify the existence and further development of this new poetic trend."