The Making of a Master Narrative and How to Break It—Introduction to the Double Special Issue “Multivalent Lyric Classicism”

Abstract

The Making of a Master Narrative and How to Break It—Introduction to the Double Special Issue “Multivalent Lyric Classicism” This and the next special issues of Frontiers of Literary Studies in China (FLSC) are dedicated to exploring the diverse forms, functions, linguistic registers, and intellectual persuasions of modern Chinese classicist poetry. The terms “classicist poetry” and “lyric classicism” are defined in the December 2015 special issue of FLSC, “Back into Modernity.” As we have argued then, and are arguing now, “the authors’ choice of classical literary language instead of modern vernacular for their versification was not necessarily due to the inertia of the tradition. It rather reflected a keenly felt need to construct a cultural/aesthetic identity in continuity with the tradition. Therefore, twentieth‐century poetry in the classical literary language, including experimental and semi‐classical contemporary verses and lyrics, may be regarded as a form of ‘classicist poetry,’ on a par with other styles and schools of modern poetry.” Further explanation on this term will follow. We are glad to see that in the past few years, scholars of modern Chinese literature have increasingly agreed to include classicist poetry into their discussion. The recently published A New Literary History of Modern China, for instance, has integrated the diverse production and consumption of classical‐style poetry into its narrative, with attention on such poetry written by women, collaborationists, diaspora and online poets, even though the predominant focus is still on vernacular genres and authors. Considering the