The Studies Of Poetry Of Qing Dynasty In North American Sinology

The study of the poetry of Qing dynasty in overseas sinology is the indispensable part of the overall study of this field.However,our knowledge of our overseas counterparts' study is quite limited and the review of what they have done has just started.North American Sinology belongs to Anglo-Saxon culture which nurtures different research methods and therefore produces new conclusions.Although deeply influenced by European sinology,the unique historical and cultural soil of North American Sinology produce the uniqueness of its research features.This dissertation attempts to summarize the major achievements of the study of poetry of Qing dynasty in North American Sinology,introduce the important scholars in this respect,evaluate the cultural and historical factors influencing these studies,and demonstrate the transformation of research modes in the context of the development of North American Sinology in the past sixty years.In 1950 s,North American Sinology,as part of Eastern Asia Study,was characterized as the political and military tool to gain the information of its opponent China after World War II.The failure in Korea War,Vietnam War and Civil Rights Movement pushed American intellectual elites to invest more in the studies of Chinese humanity and social sciences.In 1960 s and 1970 s,the voice of overthrowing western cultural tradition and rebuilding social structure was unprecedentedly high.During this period of time,translating classical Chinese literature became a kind of critical weapon which provided opportunity for the introduction of classical Chinese poetry to North America.A Collection of Chinese Lyrics was first published in 1965 and the revised editions were published in 1969 and 1970 respectively.In 1972,An Anthology of Chinese Literature(two volumes)edited by Cyril Birch and Women Poets of China translated and edited by Kenneth Rexroth were published.Sunflower Splendor: Three Thousand Years of Chinese Poetry(edited by Wu-chi Liu and Irving Yucheng),the first large volume anthology of Chinese literature was published in English-speaking countries and drew much attention in critical circle.From 1980 to 1999,Yale University first carried out reform of reorganizing the departments and staff of regional studies based on disciplinary categories which opened a new leaf for North American Sinology.Besides in 1980 s,varied schools of thoughts and literary theories offered a diversity of theoretical tools for interpreting classical Chinese poetry.Waiting for the Unicorn: Poems and Lyrics of China's Last Dynasty(1644-1911),the first anthology of poetry of Qing dynasty in North America,was published in 1986.An Anthology of Chinese Literature: Beginning to 1911(1996)and The Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature(1994,2000)enabled the readers to examine the poetry of Qing dynasty in broader horizon.The interpreting mode of combining semantics and hermeneutics invented by Chia-ying Yeh Chao to read poetry of Qing dynasty,the aesthetic taste of integrating the appreciation of painting and poetry when selecting poems in The Columbia Book of Later Chinese Poetry: Yuan,Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties(1279-1911),the studies of Zhu Yizun and Chen Zilong's love lyrics,the study of courtesan's poetry in Ming and Qing dynasty,these perspectives and methods made up the multiple research mode at this stage in North American Sinology.Around the turn of the new century,the emerging cultural theories and thoughts exerted great impact upon the study of poetry of Qing dynasty,the scholars employed these theoretical tools when interpreting poetry of China's last dynasty.Wai-yee Li defines the alteration of Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty as the crisis of culture and tradition.Grace S.Fong,Susan Mann,Vera Schwarcz and Kang-I Sun Chang applied the theory of cultural strategy and identity politics to the study of poems written by officials of Qing dynasty.Poems written by Han Ke in exile and Jonathan Chaves study of Christian poetry reveals the operation of power and social conflicts which is the traditional theme of culture study.Beata Grant probes religious poetry from the perspective of social conflicts and gender issues.The Red Brush: Writing Women of Imperial China edited by Wilt Idema and Beata Grant makes an attempt to relocating women writing in Chinese mainstream ideology by drawing the colorful picture of women literature and culture.High-level Consultation Mechanism of Sino-US Humanities Exchange greatly promoted the academic exchange between the two countries.The publication of the Chinese version of The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature and The Columbia History of Chinese Literature are two important fruits of Sino-US cross-cultural communication and exchange in academic field.Such academic dialogue and exchange has also accelerated the systamization of woman's poetry of Qing dynasty.The study of women poems of Qing dynasty from historical perspective expands the traditional studies limited in inner quarters.The study of woman's active involvement in poetry editing and the systematic introduction of woman's travel poetry further enriched the themes in this respect.This dissertation centers its elaboration around the poems of Qing dynasty and the examination is confined to the related research of poetry of Qing dynasty in North America.Our research objects range from the translation of classical Chinese poetry of Qing dynasty to the related anthology,history of Chinese literature,and those works in this respect.This is a history of these academic activities,in a broader sense,from 1950 s to the present.Such a chronological study of what our North American counterparts have done in studying poetry of Qing dynasty could reveal the evolution and dynamism of their research as a whole and the interplay of North American Sinology and the research methods of classical Chinese poetry and thus more follow-up studies could be expected in the future.