Poems by Women__Perception's

Author: Zhang Jian (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-12-01
Features: This book is a selection of poems by female poets from English-speaking countries, featuring 80 representative poems by 48 female poets from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Among these poets, there are those familiar to Chinese readers, such as Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emily Bront?, and Christina Rossetti, as well as those who have not yet been introduced in China but are relatively important, such as Anne Finch, Mina Loy, and Nancy Kato. These female poets who lived between the 17th and 20th centuries form an independent, distinctive poetic tradition that differs from the so-called "literary mainstream."
Perhaps some may ask, can female poets come together to form a tradition? Do their poems constitute a continuity? Some might argue that whether poets are male or female, they ultimately belong to their time and participate in their era's literary mainstream. Others might say that we should view poets as poets, regardless of their gender, and separating female writers is no different from directing our attention to their gender rather than their works. These perspectives are not entirely without merit, but we separate female poets precisely to emphasize their gender in order to better appreciate their poetry.
In life, there are experiences that are uniquely female, and some experiences that can be better understood from a female perspective. If we know the author is female and approach the works from her perspective, they become more accessible to us and are more likely to produce their unique effects. Female poetry initially shows characteristics that differ from male poetry. In observing life, women appear more delicate, and their emotions are gentler. They often express their understanding of life concisely in short passages. They lack grand epics and do not seek to rival male poetry in breadth and grandeur—indeed, no female poet can match Dante and Milton in this regard—but they can see profound philosophy in ordinary life experiences and express their unique insights into life and things.
This book is a collection of poems. Due to its limited scope, it cannot be all-encompassing. However, before and during the editorial process, the compiler referred to numerous anthologies of female writers and poetry collections published both domestically and internationally. While striving to include works that have not been widely introduced in China, the compiler also considered their representativeness, selecting both authors and works that are popular among Chinese readers and introducing those we may not be familiar with but are highly.
In terms of translation, the compiler has strived to preserve the style of the original poems, taking into account both Chinese conventions and the meter of the original poetry.