Life-poetry And Thinking-truth

Liang Zongdai is a distinguished poetry theorist in modern Chinese literary history. His construction of symbolic poetry theory in the 1930s gives great impetus to the modern development of new poetry (free verse written in the vernacular) in China. His conception of theory is based on his own poetry writing experiece. In light of his own reading experience and lived experience, he devotes himself to probing into the connection between poetry, life and truth. He particulary conducts valuable exploration of poetry ontology, which proves to be a breakthrough contribution to life poetics.Based on a study of Liang Zongdai's Poetry and Truth and Poetry and Truth (volume II), the paper attempts to bring into light the general features of Liang Zongdai's poetics, and further offers an evaluation of Liang Zongdai's poetics from the perspective of life poetics.The paper consists of introdution, body text (three chapters) and conclusion. In the part of introduction, a survey of studies on Liang Zongdai's poetics is made, and the method and target of the present study is made clear.The first chapter elaborates on Liang Zongdai's theory of pure poetry. Based on a study of the sources of the theory and the characteristics of pure poetry, the chapter points out that Liang Zongdai's theory of pure poetry is marked by self-contained style consciousness, cadence attainment and theoretical practicalness. The second chapter focuses on Liang Zongdai's breakthrough contribution to symbolic poetics. An analysis of Liang Zongdai's interpretation of symbolism and further studies show that Liang Zongdai's breakthrough contribution to symbolic poetics is manifested in his unique understanding of the connotation of symbolism, his formulation of symbolic features and aesthetic feeling. The chapter thereby brings into light the ontological significance of Liang Zongdai's symbolism. The third chaper approaches the notions of "correspondance", cosmic consciousness and sublimity from the perspective of life poetics. In the part of conclusion, a study of the connotatioin of Liang Zongdai's life poetics is conducted in the light of the connection between life-poetry and thinking-truth. I am convinced that for Liang Zongdai, nature is a source of life illumination as well as a state of existence, and poetry is a mode of life, while life and poetry is essentially in "great harmony". Dasein (life) approaches thuth (the other realm) and thereby reaches "great harmony" by way of the dialogue between poetry (a self-contained and perfect state of life) and thinking (a state of existence) in the form of "symbolism" (an induction conrrespondence between life and truth). It follows that Liang Zongdai's poetics is a modality of life in dialogue (an identificantion with existence by way of dialogue on the part of the poet) as well as a kind of theory.