Imitation And Creation: The Western Impact On The Rise Of Romantic Poetry During The May Fourth Period

Romanticism as a literary technique has long existed since ancient times in both Chinese and foreign literary history. However, Romanticism as a literary movement is but the product of a specific phase of human civilization. Starting from the late 18th century Europe, it swept the Western world with a deepened exaltation of the self and the value of individual experience, an unending revolt against conservative morality and authority, an emphasis upon intensity, imagination and inspiration, and a new view of the artist as an individual creator, whose creative spirit is more important than strict adherence to formal rules and traditional procedures. Having dominated the European literary world for half a century, it began to extend its influence far beyond into other countries, including China during the May Fourth period."May Fourth" being a time of domestic trouble and foreign invasion, the Chinese intellectuals turned to the West in search of handy models that could serve as a catalyst of socio-political reform and national independence. Therefore, as an important part of the May Fourth enlightenment movement, the new poets and writers provided a systematic translation and introduction of carefully selected Western romanticists like Byron, Shelly and Whitman and their works imbued with the spirit of liberty, rebellion and national emancipation. The Creation Society, leading the way, advocated destruction and creation in both spirit and form in poetic writing and thus started an unprecedented romantic movement. It is indisputable that the May Fourth new literature was born and grew under the influence of foreign literature. The Western impact on May Fourth romantic poetry, in particular, iswidely recognized. However, little discussion has ensued about the way and the extent to which this influence has occurred. This thesis aims to analyze from the perspective of media-translatology the Western impact on the rise of romantic poetry during the May Fourth period. It reviews the translation history of the above-mentioned Western romanticists and studies the rise of the May Fourth Romantic Movement and its historical background. Meanwhile it analyzes the artistic features of "The Goddesses", the monumental work of the May Fourth romantic poetry. Finally, it sums up the specific Western influence on the rise of May Fourth romantic poetry as follows.First, Western Romanticism caused the influx of the spirit of "dynamism and rebellion" into Chinese literature, thereby greatly changing the traditional Chinese literary values, making poetry an expression of the Mara spirit of liberty and antagonism. Secondly, Western Romanticism caused the influx of the subjective consciousness, transforming the conventional Chinese aesthetic outlook with the literary theory of "Self-expression" that was highlighted by pantheism, thereby promoting the individuality of Chinese literature. Thirdly, Western Romanticism caused the influx of new poetic form and style. With the conscious imitation of the May Fourth romantic poets as best demonstrated in "The Goddesses" of Western romantics especially Whitman's free verse, such as the "I"-poetry of self-celebrating style, the direct appearance of English words or transliterated English words and modern technical terms in poetry, Chinese romantic poets constructed varied new poetic forms as best represented by "Nu shen ti", thereby completely destroying the fetters of traditional Chinese poetics and the conservative spirit it conveyed.From the above analysis, this thesis comes to the following conclusion: Western Romanticism served as a "catalytic agent" for the rise of romantic poetry during the May Fourth period. This influence was initiated by the translation and introduction of carefully selected Western romanticists like Byron, Shelly and Whitman, and is best demonstrated by the conscious imitation of the May Fourth romantic poets of these Western romanticists from spirit to style, from form to literary theories. Imitation intensified their poetic feelings and helped them de...