Miłość w poezji chińskiej; klasyczna poezja shi i nowoczesna baihua w latach 1917-1942

• Authors: Pejda Katarzyna

Title variants

EN

Love in Chinese poetry: the classical shi to the vernacular baihua of the years 1917-1942

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The authoress outlines the main themes of the classical shi poetry and its social role. Since it usually reflected the Confucian morality and thought, love rarely appeared there. Such feelings, if presented, most often have been described from the point of view of an abandoned woman (usually a loyal wife). These poems were commonly interpreted as a political satire and metaphor of honest officials and scholars, betrayed by selfish politicians or the court. Such an interpretation was facilitated by a certain obscurity. Li Shangyin’s poem is given as an example. After the Literary Revolution that started in 1917, the Chinese writers initiated to use a new vernacular language: baihua instead of classical wenyan. The new literature changed not only the language but the ideological orientation as well. It often condemned Confiician morality and the traditional social norms. Chinese intellectuals searched for new ideals in the West. Thus a significance of an individual and of love was discovered and introduced to China. Although Chinese writers opposed traditions and advocated many Western ideas in their works, the great majority of them maintained a traditional approach to the literature claiming that literature determines (nor reflects) social life and mores. In this case they believed that the „new literature” will serve as a means for the creation of a „new society”. That is why they described love in a completely new light: as an intimate, individual feelings that facilitate liberation from the traditional Confucian hypocrisy.

• Publisher: Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek
• Journal: Azja-Pacyfik
• Year: 2001
• Issue: IV
• Pages: 233-238

Dates

published

2001

Contributors

author

Pejda Katarzyna