[Qian Zhongshu: On Chinese Poetry]
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The general impression of Chinese poetry: What is the general impression of Chinese poetry? The person who asked this question must be a foreign reader, or a Chinese reader who can appreciate foreign poetry. A person who only reads Chinese poetry will never encounter this problem. He can distinguish; he can’t generalize in such a vague way. He wanted to distinguish the unique, individual beauty of each poet. Those with a literary conscience and discernment, just like rigorous scientists, avoid generalizations and sweeping statements that are nothing but empty rhetoric. He will keep in mind the quick words of the poet Blake: “To give an overview is to be a fool.” ”If a person who only appreciates poetry from their own country were to write an overview, at most they would divide that country’s poetry into schools or periods to explain the characteristics of each. He cannot fulfill his duty to the poetry of his entire country, as he is unable to \"go beyond the superficial and grasp the essence,\" to adopt a perspective from a higher vantage point. Therefore, when talking about the general impression of Chinese poetry, foreigners and foreign poetry are already on mind. This stance is comparative literary.
The development of poetry: According to several literary historians, poetry evolved first as epic poetry, then as dramatic poetry, and finally as lyric poetry. Chinese poetry is not like that. China has no epics; the Chinese lack what Voltaire called an “epic mind.” China’s best dramatic poems emerged long after its most perfect lyric poems. The essence and pinnacle of pure lyric poetry appeared in Chinese poetry at an exceptionally early stage. Therefore, Chinese poetry is precocious. The price of early maturity is early aging. Chinese poetry reached a lofty level in no time, after which it lacked variation and gradually declined. This phenomenon is common in Chinese culture. For example, in Chinese painting, the techniques for objective realism were not yet developed, yet styles such as Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, which focused on pure painting, already existed ； China’s logic is extremely simplistic, whereas the thoroughness of its dialectics is enough to make Hegel envious. In the hearts of the Chinese, there is nothing like gravity; with each heartbeat, they rise higher. The Sanskrit Jataka Tales tell of an Indian fool who wanted to live in a three-story building but refused to allow craftsmen to build the lower two floors; this reflects the artistic and intellectual framework of China. It is often an imaginary castle in the air, and this is because the Chinese are intelligent – incredibly intelligent.
The Chinese epic. The renowned poet Allen Poe believed that the shorter a poem is, the better; the term “epic” is inherently contradictory, as the longest poems should not take more than half an hour to read. It’s a pity he doesn’t understand Chinese. Chinese poetry is a blitzkrieg in the realm of artistic appreciation, lasting only an average of two to three minutes. Compared to the medium-length poems of the West, Chinese long poems are nothing more than gentle flutters within the realm of rhythm and rhyme. Of course, the rule prohibiting two repeated rhymes in a poem limited the length of Chinese poetry. But if shoes give shape to feet, then feet also give shape to shoes ； Poetry form is perhaps precisely the product of the poetic spirit, adapted to its needs. Compared to Western poets, Chinese poets can merely be regarded as carvers of cherry pits and two-inch squares of ivory. Yet, short poems can carry profound meanings; contraction does not hinder extension, as if we need to see further with every frown. Foreign short poems value incisive brevity. Chinese poets want you to see the boundlessness from within the finite. A Chinese poet said, “Words have an end, but meaning knows no bounds.” ”Another poet said, “It depicts scenes that are hard to describe, as if they were right before one’s eyes; it conveys meanings that cannot be fully expressed, appearing beyond the words.” ”Reaching an indescribable and elusive realm through the most refined forms of expression precisely meets Verlaine’s criteria for poetry: that gray song loosely connects the abstract with the concrete.
As soon as I see poetry~ I think of the required courses in college~~ I’m really too lazy to memorize them~~ It’s such a pain~~:lol:lol
One encyclopedia describes him as having made outstanding achievements in literary research and literary creation. It holds significant implications, especially in terms of scientifically discarding traditional Chinese culture and selectively drawing on foreign cultures. After seeing some of his works, I agree with them as well.
General impression of Chinese poetry: texts composed of a relatively small number of characters. ;P