New Poetry: Creative and Theoretical Studies

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2026/01/28 12:06

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Preface
“Poetic Alum for Clarifying the Turbid and Elevating the Pure”
Preface by Professor Xiao Xiao ........................................ 1

Part I. Theories of New Poetry Creation and Criticism .......... 4

Chapter 1. Introduction: The Formal Evolution of Chinese New Poetry .......... 8

Chapter 2. Understanding the Fundamental Elements of New Poetry .......... 20
Section 1. The Language of New Poetry ........................................ 20
Section 2. Imagery and Musicality in New Poetry ............................... 21
Section 3. Structure and Aesthetic Experience in New Poetry .................. 25

Chapter 3. The Structure of New Poetry .................................... 27
Section 1. Theoretical Frameworks of Poetic Textual Structure ................ 27
Section 2. Stanzaic Arrangement and Structural Design ........................ 27
Section 3. Common Structural Flaws in New Poetry .............................. 70

Chapter 4. Imagery in New Poetry ......................................... 75
Section 1. Theories of Poetic Imagery ........................................ 75
Section 2. Imagery and Sensory Functions ..................................... 79
Section 3. Imagery and the Use of Cinematic Techniques ....................... 90

Chapter 5. The Musicality of New Poetry (I) ............................... 95
Section 1. Three Core Elements of Poetic Musicality .......................... 96
Section 2. The Design of Musicality .......................................... 96

Chapter 6. The Musicality of New Poetry (II) .............................. 107
Section 1. Constituent Elements of Musicality ................................ 107
Section 2. The Developmental Trajectory of Musicality in Taiwanese Modern Poetry ...... 114

Historical Origins of Taiwanese Modern Poetry ............................. 114
Clarifying Musicality in Free Verse ....................................... 115
Musicality in Taiwanese Modern Poetry .................................... 116
Melody and Rhythm in Taiwanese Modern Poetry .............................. 118

Chapter 7. Syntax, Linguistic Errors, and Linguistic Obstacles in New Poetry ...... 152
Section 1. Syntax and Syntactic Units ........................................ 152
Section 2. Word Classification and Functional Sentence Types ................. 158
Section 3. Structural Relations of Words and Basic Sentence Patterns ........ 162
Section 4. Syntactic Characteristics of New Poetry ........................... 179
Section 5. Linguistic Errors and Barriers in New Poetry ...................... 186

Chapter 8. Genres of New Poetry .......................................... 200
Section 1. Criteria for Genre Classification ................................ 200
Section 2. Seven Common Narrative Perspectives and Themes ................... 201
Section 3. Popular Themes in Taiwanese New Poetry ............................ 205

Chapter 9. Narrative Qualities of New Poetry ............................. 259
Section 1. Poems That Leave an Indelible Mark on Readers .................... 259
Section 2. Bringing Storytelling into Poetry ................................. 261
Section 3. Narrative Analysis of New Poetry Works ............................ 265

Chapter 10. Theories of New Poetry Criticism .............................. 272
Section 1. Three Common Types of Literary Criticism .......................... 272
Section 2. Major Western Literary Criticism Theories ......................... 273

Part II. Studies of Rhetorical Devices in New Poetry ................. 282

Chapter 1. Surrealist Techniques in New Poetry ........................... 282
Section 1. Surrealist Imagination ............................................ 282
Section 2. Types of Surrealist Techniques .................................... 282

Transformational Combinations ............................................. 283
Montage Editing .......................................................... 284
Surrealist Performance ................................................... 286

Chapter 2. Synesthesia in the Works of Poet Lo Fu ........................ 291
Section 1. The Ultimate Skill of the “Poetry Demon” .......................... 291
Section 2. Lo Fu’s Use of Synesthetic Techniques ............................. 291

Chapter 3. Symbolism in New Poetry ....................................... 303
Section 1. Core Elements of Symbolism: Indirect Suggestion .................. 298
Section 2. Formal Structures of Symbolism ................................... 298
Section 3. Analysis of Symbolist Techniques in New Poetry ................... 299

Chapter 4. Personification in Yang Huan’s Children’s Poetry ............. 312
Section 1. Aesthetic Foundations: Empathy and Transference .................. 312
Section 2. Rhetorical Structures of Personification ........................ 312
Section 3. Personification Techniques in Yang Huan’s Children’s Poetry ...... 312

Anthropomorphism ........................................................ 313
Objectification ......................................................... 318
Metaphorical Substitution Among Objects ................................ 321

Chapter 5. Irony and Black Humor in the Works of Poet Ya Xian ........... 325
Section 1. Ya Xian’s Black Absurdist Drama ................................. 325
Section 2. Types of Ironic Expression ...................................... 326

Chapter 6. Parallelism in Yu Kwang-chung’s Ballad-Style Poetry .......... 331
Section 1. Ballad-Style New Poetry ......................................... 331
Section 2. Forms of Parallelism in Ballad Poetry ........................... 332

Chapter 7. Demonstrative Presentation (Showing) in the Works of Poet Zheng Chou-yu ...... 342
Section 1. Zheng Chou-yu’s Narrative Lyricism .............................. 342
Section 2. Zheng Chou-yu’s Techniques of Scenic Presentation ............... 343

Theories of New Poetry Criticism and Appreciation

Part III. Discourses on New Poetry Criticism ......................... 1

The Genesis of a Poem ................................................ 1
Section 1. Conceptual Inspiration ........................................ 1
Section 2. Structural Planning ........................................... 9
Section 3. Revision and Refinement ...................................... 11
How Should New Poetry Be Critically Analyzed? ........................ 15
Section 1. Four Common “Imitation” Models of Poetry Criticism ............ 15
Section 2. Steps for Writing a Critical Analysis ........................ 17
Guided Reading, Appreciation, and Criticism of Literary Works ........ 21
Section 1. One Person, One Horn ......................................... 21
Section 2. Three Levels of Literary Interpretation ..................... 22
Section 3. Popular Critical Pitfalls: Impressionistic and Formulaic Criticism ...... 31
A Model for New Poetry Criticism: How to Critique a Poem ............. 33
Section 1. Thinking from Dual Perspectives ............................. 33
Section 2. Five Observational Levels of Poetic Texts ................... 34
Section 3. Sample Poetry Critiques .................................... 35
Obscurity and Clarity in New Poetry ................................ 45
Section 1. From the Poet’s Perspective ................................. 45
Section 2. From the Reader’s Perspective ............................... 46
The Creation of Modern Song Lyrics ................................ 48
Section 1. Sentimentality in Popular Lyrics ............................ 48
Section 2. Writing and Adapting Modern Pop Lyrics ..................... 53
1. Lyric Adaptation ................................................... 53
2. Lyric Composition .................................................. 70
Short Poems and Fragmented Lines in Flight ......................... 85
Section 1. Two Types of Fragmented Lines ............................... 85
Section 2. Studies of Fragmentary Poetry .............................. 86
A Reconsideration of the “Uselessness of Rhetoric” Thesis .......... 92
Section 1. A Fallacy That Never Went Out of Fashion .................... 92
Section 2. Historical Origins and Practical Value of Rhetoric ........ 92
Prosaic Tendencies, Linguistic Errors, and Linguistic Barriers ...... 97
Section 1. Objective Criteria for Prosaicization ...................... 97
Section 2. Linguistic Errors and Obstacles ............................ 100
The Threshold of Literature ...................................... 102
The Use of Cinematic Techniques in Chinese Poetry ................. 105
Section 1. Fusion of Emotion and Scenery in Poetry .................. 105
Section 2. Cinematic Handling of “Emotive Language” ................ 106
Section 3. Cinematic Representation of Scenic Language in Poetry ... 106
Practical Operations of New Poetry Criticism ..................... 128
Section 1. The Phenomenon of “Ignoring Theory, Displaying Individual Tricks” ...... 128
Section 2. The Connotation of Critical Methodology .................. 129
Section 3. Evidence-Based Critical Analysis of New Poetry .......... 130
Section 4. Case Studies in Poetry Criticism ......................... 131
Poets and Poetry Critics ........................................ 135
Section 1. The Mutual Enhancement of Quality Poetry and Theoretical Criticism ...... 135
Section 2. Characteristics of Imitative Poetry Criticism .......... 135
Unveiling the Teaching of New Poetry in Taiwan .................. 139
A Casual Discussion of Striking and Golden Lines in Poetry ...... 145
The Interplay of the Real and the Imagined in Poetic Imagery ..... 166

Part IV. Appreciations of New Poetry Works .......................... 201

Li Jinfa: A Pioneer of Symbolist Poetry ............................ 201
Xiang Yang: The Conscience Echoing Through the Corridor of History ... 213
Zheng Chou-yu: The Wanderer and the Knight-Errant .................. 222
Lo Fu: The Magician of Language ................................... 267
Xiang Ming: The Profound Blue Stellar Glow ......................... 271
Bei Dao: A Passionate Poet of Enlightenment ....................... 277
Gu Cheng: A Tragic Poet’s Love of Life and Death .................. 286
Hai Zi: Landscapes of Tragic Sensibility .......................... 294
Yu Xiuhua: Buckwheat Mistakenly Planted in a Sorghum Field ......... 301
Li Min-yong: Resistance Through Poetry ........................... 307
Lin Guang: The Disciple of the Magician .......................... 314
“Dreams in the Mortal World Still Unawakened”: An Analysis of the Beauty and Sorrow in Chiung Yao’s Poetry .......... 319

“Poetic Alum for Clarifying the Turbid and Elevating the Pure”

Xiao Xiao

In the 1980s of the twentieth century, I came to know a young poet who gave himself a strikingly memorable pen name: Chen Qufei (Chen Chaosong, 1963– ). I have always been fond of names that embody self-awakening and self-vigilance. Qufei—to “remove what is wrong,” to cast off falsity, untruth, injustice, and all that deviates from what is right.

Because of the name Qufei, I was reminded of ancient generals such as Huo Qubing (140–117 BCE) and Xin Qiji (1140–1207), whose names likewise carried the meaning of casting off illness and affliction, expressing hopes for physical well-being. The association could not help but bring a knowing smile.

Huo Qubing’s name, “Removing Illness,” is said to have originated when his mother carried him in and out of the imperial palace. Her sister, Wei Zifu, was Empress to Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che (157–87 BCE). At the time, the emperor was bedridden with illness and required quiet rest, yet the sudden, piercing cries of the infant startled him awake, causing him to break into a cold sweat—after which his body paradoxically felt relieved. As a result, both the mother, Wei Shao’er, and the unnamed child were summoned before the emperor, who bestowed upon the infant the vigorous and auspicious name Qubing. Whether this story is factual or apocryphal, the meanings of removing illness, removing impurity, casting off all worries, and attaining freedom from blemish are, at heart, the deepest blessings elders bestow upon the young.

As for Xin Qiji, no such imperial naming legend is known, yet his courtesy name was You’an (“Young Peace”). Perhaps it was precisely because of frailty in childhood that there arose such wishes as abandoning illness, turning toward fortune, personal peace, and peace for the people. The Song dynasty—especially the Southern Song—was a pallid, ailing era, a weakened regime perpetually driven southward by the Jin and later the Mongols. Yet from this bloodless age emerged a man who may not have been physically robust in youth but who, as an adult, embodied the spirit of “golden lances and iron horses, his momentum devouring ten thousand miles like a tiger.” Because of Xin Qiji, the history of the Song was spared monochrome pallor; indeed, because of him, Song lyric poetry was rescued from the monotony of mere delicacy and softness.

Removing illness, abandoning affliction—these seek to sever physical burdens, discomfort, and pain. But what of Qufei? Qufei aims to eliminate intellectual bias, misjudgment, and moral distortion. In difficulty, this task is no less formidable than curing the body itself. To remove illness or abandon disease—does one merely distance oneself from personal suffering, or must one also cast off society’s maladies and the nation’s pain? To remove what is wrong—does it not require excising one’s own past errors while also confronting the deviations and estrangements of the poetic field?

When Chen Qufei took up this name and ventured into the world, did he harbor such deep self-expectations? Did he hope that his endeavors would startle the poetry world into a cold sweat, effecting a sudden cure? Did he aspire to brave hardship so as to remove pests and diseases from the poetic ecosystem? Did Chen Qufei hold such aspirations? In the 1980s, I could not see into his heart.

Only recently has he gathered together his poetry criticism written over the past several years into a single volume, titled New Poetry: Creation, Criticism, and Appreciation. I was fortunate to read it in advance, and only then did I realize that his journeys through the literary world were backed by genuine accumulation and preparation. This was no idle chatter or casual scribbling.

New Poetry: Creation, Criticism, and Appreciation is divided into four major parts. The first, “Theories of New Poetry Creation and Criticism,” branches outward from theoretical foundations, exploring the formal evolution of Chinese-language new poetry, with focused attention on structure, imagery, musicality, syntax, and genre. This is solid groundwork, not castles in the air or impressions floating on the surface. Spring gives rise, summer brings growth.

The book then enters its second part, “Studies of Rhetorical Devices in New Poetry.” Following his earlier major works on poetic rhetoric—Aesthetics of Expressive Techniques and Aesthetics of Formal Design, published after his master’s thesis was organized in 2007—Chen here draws extensively on poets’ works, linking surrealism, symbolism, children’s poetry, and ballad forms; connecting figures such as Lo Fu, Yang Huan, Yu Kwang-chung, Ya Xian, and Zheng Chou-yu; and integrating rhetorical techniques including synesthesia, symbolism, analogy, irony, presentation, and parallelism. By uniting theory with concrete examples, he opens up a renewed horizon for the rhetoric of new poetry. These two parts, devoted to poetic creation, are the most solid and incisive.

The remaining sections may be seen as leaves and fruit spreading outward from the trunk of theory and rhetoric. The third part, “Discourses on New Poetry Criticism,” and the fourth, “Appreciations of New Poetry Works,” correspond to autumn harvest and winter storage—embodying the “criticism and appreciation” promised by the book’s title, and offering practicable paths for applying theory.

Chen Qufei came of age after the 1980s, and thus the poets discussed in this volume largely belong to earlier generations, with only a few newer voices emerging from the internet. What of the middle generation and the younger contemporaries? Among mid-career poets, only Li Min-yong and Xiang Yang appear. Poetry societies that rose around the same time as Chen—such as Horizon, Kindling Fire, New Land, Elephant Group, and Mandala—as well as many peers with whom he should be intimately familiar, are largely absent, save for Chen Fei-wen and Xu Huizhi. From the perspective of literary history, such omissions are evident. Yet from the poets and examples he chooses, one can clearly discern Chen Qufei’s personal predilections. Let us therefore use this book to examine the poetic vision and horizon he steadfastly upholds.

Judging from New Poetry: Creation, Criticism, and Appreciation, Chen Qufei’s ambition may not lie in offering a comprehensive aerial survey of poetic history, but rather in clarifying and transmitting “correct” knowledge. Though a native of Qingshui, Taichung, Chen also frequently writes under another pen name: Chen Qingyang. The qing (clarity) here is not merely an echo of his hometown’s name; qingyang—clarity raised aloft—marks his true resolve. One may say that the writing and publication of this book aim at “clarifying the turbid and elevating the pure” in knowledge itself, washing away impurities, and even at performing such clarification for the ecosystem of new poetry—seeking a lineage he recognizes as authentic.

Qufei, Qingyang. In this book, one can clearly perceive the author’s temperament as a teacher. Much of the impatience heard in his online voice has been stripped away. Step by step, he paces the classroom of new poetry like alum—clarifying water, sterilizing, disinfecting, deodorizing—though, for certain skins, it may still cause irritation.

Written on May 22, 2018,
on Dunhou Dàhuà Road.