Research On The James J.Y.Liu's Cross-Cultural Poetry Thoughts

As a multi-linguistic, cross-cultural theorist and literary critic, James J.Y.Liu is at once a transmitter of literary traditions ancient and modern, and a practitioner of East-West cultural exchanges. Drawing from his own rich cultural traditions inherited from both China and the West, he tries to apply various perspectives of modern western literary theories to study and interpret Chinese literature and literary theories, particularly traditional Chinese literary theories. He does so through extracting literary theories hidden in various works of Chinese literary critics. By constructing his own distinct systemic theory on Chinese poetry studies, he brings Chinese poetry studies into a broader arena of world literary theories. This dissertation focuses on the way James J.Y.Liu constructs a theory of Chinese poetry studies by painstakingly applying the basic principles of western poetry theories to provide a framework for Chinese poetry studies, thus achieving a transformation of traditional Chinese poetry studies. Against a background of cultural dialogue and cultural blending, this paper sets out to analyze the sources and historical development of James J.Y.Liu's academic life, re-examine his great literary experiments, and discuss the contemporary implications of his cross-cultural thought on poetry studies. This paper also discusses the values and meanings of James J.Y.Liu's literary effort in transforming Chinese poetry studies from a post-colonial context into a post-modern and global one, thus helping studies of Chinese poetry discover its own values and make its own voice heard throughout the world, as well as making its due contributions to the formation and development of a new future world culture. The paper is consisted of six sections, including an introduction, four chapters and a conclusion.The introduction discusses the significance of the research, literature review, research approach and methodology, innovations, and well as the difficulties and problems of the research. As a world renowned Chinese American sinologist, James J.Y.Liu is a great expert in cross-cultural communication, with a unique perspective for observing Chinese culture. James J.Y.Liu's works exhibit a profound theoretical grasp, a very broad vision, as well as an accurate and succinct argumentative style. His areas of study expand from Classical Chinese poetry, poetry theory and literary theory, to East-West comparative literature and comparative poetry studies. He is opposed of blindly applying modern western theories, concepts, evaluation criteria and methodologies to the study of Chinese literature and literary theories one the one hand, but he also shows an open attitude by not limiting himself to the study of traditional Chinese poetry. Rather, he adopts a cautious approach to study and compare poetry studies in the east and the west, trying to synthesize available resources with great enthusiasm to lay a solid foundation for the study of Chinese literature. At the same time he follows the trends in world literary theory development, actively exploring the issue of methodological change for Classical Chinese literary theory. He opens a new academic field by blending Chinese and western poetry studies for the purpose of explaining Chinese literature and literary critical theories. His systemic cross-cultural theory on poetry studies has had a great impact on western circle of sinologists, and serves as an invaluable source of inspiration for the internationalization of Chinese literary theories. James J.Y.Liu's ideas give direction for the emergence and further development of China's contemporary comparative literature studies as well as comparative poetry studies. Secondly, modern and contemporary literary circles in China have been haunted by the question of whether they should return to the Chinese literary traditions or pursue a strategy of wholesale westernization, to the point that they have lost their collective voice on the matter. The author holds that any national literary theory should be put in the overall context of world literary theories to show their relevance to the world. Examining national literary theories in a cross language and cross cultural setting will help build a shared platform for international exchange and dialogue of literary theories in the age of globalization. In this sense, there is a need to trace James J.Y.Liu's academic career, make a comprehensive evaluation of his contributions as well as his limitations in order to promote further development of Chinese poetry studies.Chapter one looks at the life of James J.Y.Liu and gives a brief analysis of his major academic works. James J.Y.Liu was born into a traditional Chinese literary family in Beijing in 1926. His parents put great emphasis on cultural attainment of their children, and his siblings were all diligent students in Chinese classical and literary learning. Growing up in such a heavily cultured family background, it seems natural that he would later choose academic research as his career path. The primary school, middle school and college that James J.Y.Liu chose to study in were all among the best of their kinds in China at that time, that were conceptually most advanced and provided the most formal and solid academic training for the students. James J.Y.Liu exhibited an unusual gift in language since early childhood, his talent in English stood out among his peers that he was given an opportunity to study in England during the first semester of his graduate program. He received his master's degree in England, and began his pursuit in cross cultural and East-West comparative studies under the direct guidance of his academic advisor. After graduation, he first chose to teach Chinese in English universities, then he transmitted to work in New Asia College in HongKong, later to several universities in the US before he finally found his best place for academic pursuit in Stanford University. Stanford proved to be the ideal academic platform for James J.Y.Liu. He spent the rest of his academic career there and it was in Stanford that he climbed to the heights of academic success. As we look back at his career, we come to a better understanding of his belief and pursuit in academic life. James J.Y.Liu has written eight books, as follows:《The Art of Chinese Poetry》(1962),《The Chinese Knight Errant》(1967),《The Poetry of Li Shang-yin:Ninth-Century Baroque Chinese Poet》(1969),《Major Lyricists of the Northern Sung, A.D.960-1126》(1974),《Chinese Theories of Literature》(1975),《Essentials of Chinese Literature Art》(1979),《The Interlingual Critic:Interpreting Chinese Peotry》(1982)and《Language-Paradox-Poetics:A Chinese Perspective》(1988). Each of these books is a product of years of planning and hard labor, and embodies the essence of his learning. Here, to give a brief introduction and analysis of all James J.Y.Liu's eight books is both a way of showing due respect to him and a requirement for a comprehensive examination of his academic thoughts.Chapter two aims at a systematic treatment of the eastern and western cultural background of James J.Y.Liu's cross-cultural poetry studies, as well as the cultural conflict and choice he faces in a post-colonial cultural setting. James J.Y.Liu's parents respectively represent the eastern and western cultural traditions. Born into such a cross-cultural family, his family education was one that mixed and absorbed the cultural resources of the two broad traditions. The result of such a cultural blending was that he had a mastery over Chinese culture that enabled him to use the resources of Chinese poetry and literary theories at will, at the same time he was at ease in applying western theories and methods as a result of being immersed in the western cultural and academic environment. All these factors help lay a solid foundation for his research work in later years of his life. He consciously used modern western literary theories, concepts and methods to analyze traditional Chinese literary theories, which shows that he had a profound and intimate link with modern western learning, especially with the New Criticism and phenomenology. James J.Y.Liu's attention to such issues as 'works', 'context','language' and 'linguistic paradox' were built on his absorption and improvement over the ideas and concepts found in neo-criticism. The examples that show the link between his theory and phenomenology are also abundant, such as his discussion on the concepts of 'realm' and 'created realm' in the context of 'Poetry is a form of exploration into various realms and languages', his juxtaposition and comparison of the concept of 'being' in existentialism and the concept of 'Tao' in metaphysical literary theories, and many of his ideas that resonate with those found in phenomenology. However, we must notice the cultural conflict and choice he makes in his role as a Chinese cultural studies expert in a Eurocentric cultural environment in the age of post-colonialism. He tries hard to correct the conscious or unconscious misunderstandings among western sinologist circles over Chinese Characters, Chinese language and Chinese poetry studies. We must appreciate that he established his own leading position in western academic world through his own hard work, while painstakingly trying to find and establish his own cultural identity and seek the recognition of that identity.Chapter three focuses on the construction of James J.Y.Liu's systemic theory of poetry studies and its practice. James J.Y.Liu's effort in constructing a systemic cross-cultural theory on poetry studies is reflected in Chinese Theories of Literature, the book that wins him enormous reputation. There are three purposes that he would like to achieve purposes in writing this book. The first and ultimate purpose is to put forth various literary theories born of a long and largely independent literary critical tradition in China, bring them into comparison with theories from other traditions, thus contributing to an eventual universal theory of literature. The second and direct purpose is to provide a literary theory for scholars on Chinese literature and literary criticism. The Third purpose is to tread a path more appropriate than existing ones for synthesizing Chinese and western critical perspectives in order to lay a good foundation for the actual criticism of Chinese literature. Based on these three purposes, he improves and innovates the four-element theory of Abrams,a American scholar,turning Abrams's original four elements(works, artist, world and appreciator)into a two-way interactive process, as shown in the diagram universe—author—world—reader. He further divides Chinese poetry studies into six modules (metaphysical theory, determining theory, expression theory, technique theory, aesthetics theory, and practical theory) and finds for each of this theoretical modules relevant evidence in Chinese literary theories. In so far as he indeed 'provides a solid foundation for actual criticism of Chinese literature', this represents a great experiment for constructing a systemic theory on traditional Chinese poetry studies. However, as this approach seeks to cram traditional Chinese literary theory into an imperfect theoretical framework at the expense of its richness and complexity, he later was to be the target of vehement criticisms from other scholars. A language-centered methodological turn is another area of focus for James J.Y.Liu's systemic cross-cultural theory on poetry studies. The fact that he continuously tries to expand and deepen his understanding and practice in the area of Chinese poetry studies can be seen from his conscious awareness to achieve cultural exchangeability from linguistic and script exchangeability, his exploration and innovations in methodological turn, and his effort in putting his own theory into practice which allows for a further improvement of his own theory.Chapter four discusses the contemporary significance of James J.Y.Liu's cross-cultural theory on poetry studies. Liu's comprehensive approach toward poetry studies has a profound impact on other sinologists or scholars on comparative poetry studies. One example would be Wai-lim Yip, a scholar on comparative literature. To certain degree, Wai-lim Yip and preserves but also revises James J.Y.Liu's theory. He fundamentally challenges the viability and the resultant crisis in applying or synthesizing new and old western literary theories to the studies of Chinese literature. By stressing the features of classical Chinese Aesthetics and through'mutual reflection' between the models of Chinese and western literature, he is more concerned with seeking more reasonable common literary principles to construct a multi-dimensional theoretical framework. However, researchers can not fail to notice that his studies on such topics as mental model and language take on certain undertone characteristic of absolutist thinking, a sign that he does not transcend the limitations inherent of the comparative literature studies circles. Because of this, he shows certain weakness in deeper theoretical grasp of literary works. Many scholars, both Chinese and western, agree that that comparative literature studies must embrace comparative poetry studies to ensure a broader vision for future development. Studies of Chinese poetry must uphold the principle of bringing in and sending out. This requires that Chinese poetry studies should be built on a foundation of east-west mutual borrowing and learning, mutual blending and moving forward as one. In this context, researchers should adhere to the principles of cultural identity and two-way illustration in their research process. Only such principles and their practice will lead to the disappearance of the symptom of the absence of voice in the field of Chinese literary theory studies.The author holds that in the field of east-west cross-cultural comparative studies on poetry or literature, it is quite impossible to reach a state where each part will find a perfect point through which to engage in meaningful dialogue. As such, the best people can do is to seek and find out those areas where it is possible to conduct dialogues and have connections, and treat those areas as the targeted areas where the essence of ancient Chinese literary theories can be used as foundation and resources for having meaningful and valuable communications with today's poetry studies and literary theories. Such an approach does not aim at a comprehensive dialogue, but one that seeks to have specific focuses and guided by clear objectives. And this is the approach that James J.Y.Liu adopts. As a biased, committed critic, James J.Y.Liu never stops pursuing his goal of making the essence of Chinese culture accessible to western students and readers. However, as he died in his prime years, he left behind him an unfinished cause. We have the obligation to continue his work so that his fine thoughts and ideas will continue to travel further.