Feng Zhi's Reception And Variation Of Western Sonnets

Feng Zhi is a well-known poet in modern China.As an important representative of Feng Zhi,achievements,The Collection of Sonnets,occupies a significant position in the history of Chinese and foreign sonnets.Chinese and foreign characteristics in sonnet are successfully absorbed into Feng Zhi's sonnets and they have a profound influence on the creation of Chinese sonnets.Using the research methods such as text analysis and the Reception Studies of Comparative Literature comprehensively,this paper discusses how Feng Zhi absorbed from traditional western sonnets and makes them carried forward and changed,which gives us a helpful reference for the further development of Chinese sonnets.This thesis consists of an introduction,the main body and a conclusion.The first part is introduction,which puts forward the questions to be researched,interprets several terms of the western sonnet and the background of the creation of The Collection of Sonnets,generalizes the status of research of the text at home and abroad,defines the related terms,and pointed out the method of research and the innovations of this paper.The second part is made up of four chapters.Chapter One discusses the acceptance of western sonnets during Feng Zhi's creation of The Collection of Sonnets.Feng Zhi adopted the similar rhyme and structure of Petrarchan Sonnet.Moreover,Rilike,who is the representative of western poets had a tremendous effect on Feng Zhi.Based on a connection called 'ask and answer' between the two poets,their experiences and ideas are fits with each other.Rilke's representative Die Sonette an Orpheus deeply affected Feng Zhi in the aspects of themes and expression.Chapter Two has a tight connection to Chapter one in contents and logic.There are innovations in Feng Zhi's sonnets besides the influence from traditional sonnets and we can see the recreation in language and culture in Feng Zhi's poem.This part focus on the variations on language in The Collection of Sonnets,which involve the changes in and rhyme and structure.Feng Zhi changes the rhythm and the form of rhyme according to the trait of Chinese.The varied tones contribute to the musicality of Feng Zhi's sonnets.Feng Zhi's sonnets take advantage of Chinese characters to create a closed structure,and this structure caters to the aesthetic habits of Chinese people.In addition,he also did a very good treatment in the common enjambement problems in western sonnets,which avoids the Europeanized Chinese.Chapter Three further discusses the variations from the cultural aspect which involve changes in themes,images and philosophy connotations.Feng Zhi reforms the common themes in traditional sonnets and he doesn't express personal emotion but express abstract philosophy by daily themes.Feng Zhi adds Chinese traditional themes such as seclusion and sepatation,presents them by a traditional method called starting-association.Images of daily life and the creation of artistic conception make Feng Zhi's sonnets more coform to the aesthetic habits of Chinese classical poetry.And,more importantly,the philosophy in Feng Zhi's sonnets is of Chinese style for example groups based culture in Confucianism,the concept of harmony between man and nature and indifference to personal fame and fortune in Taoism.Chapter Four explores the deep reasons for those variations.The sonnet is one of the traditional poetry forms in western countries and its meanings in language and culture changes a lot in Feng Zhi's sonnet in Chinese.The reasons can be explored from three aspects such as nation,times and Feng Zhi himself.The influence of Chinese traditional aesthetic principle makes Feng Zhi to combine Chinese factors with his sonnets.Moreover,Feng Zhi's sensitive but responsible personality and the creation environment have a great impact on the generation and formation of the variation.The last part is the conclusion.Through the creation of Feng Zhi's Chinese sonnets,the author focus on the metrical poetry in the contemporary China.The successful reputation of The Collection of Sonnets provides enlightment to Chinese sonnets,and even metrical poetry.The exploring of these issue will be conducive to the further development of Chinese poetry.