Several Faces of Ezra Pound: A Study Focused on the Translation and Introduction of the Six Principles of Imagism into China in the Early Twentieth Century

WU Ke

Volume 2 Issue 3

Mar. 2021

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WU Ke. Several Faces of Ezra Pound: A Study Focused on the Translation and Introduction of the Six Principles of Imagism into China in the Early Twentieth Century[J]. International Comparative Literature, 2019, 2(3): 459-476.

Citation:

WU Ke. Several Faces of Ezra Pound: A Study Focused on the Translation and Introduction of the Six Principles of Imagism into China in the Early Twentieth Century[J]. International Comparative Literature, 2019, 2(3): 459-476.

Citation:

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Several Faces of Ezra Pound: A Study Focused on the Translation and Introduction of the Six Principles of Imagism into China in the Early Twentieth Century

WU Ke

Peking University

Received Date: 2018-10-09
Publish Date: 2021-03-09

Abstract

Abstract

Chinese Researchers have paid great attention to the relationship between Ezra Pound and China, especially the relationship between his contribution and the origin and development of Chinese new poetry and Chinese modern literature. Some researchers even regard him as the Godfather of the Literary Revolution in 1917. Doubtlessly, Pound was introduced to China as a member of the Imagist poets at the very beginning, with a label of the revolutionist, which clearly revealed the left-wing position of Liu Yanling刘延陵 (1894-1988) at that time. However, Liu and Xu Chi 徐迟 (1914-1996) overlooked the complicated development of Pound’s own theory, ignored the divergence of opinion between Pound and Amy Lowell on Imagist theory, and neglected the variation of the so-called Six Principles of Imagism as well. All these problems are still waiting to be fully reviewed today, or else it would bring about simplification and confusion in our understanding of Pound’s true meaning. Based on reviewing old newspapers and comparing foreign original texts with Chinese translated versions, it is not difficult for us to find out that there exists a lot of misreading, perhaps more appropriately, some inventions in the process of translation and introduction of Pound’s theory and the Six Principles of Imagism into China during the early 20s. For example, Hu Shi 胡适 (1891-1962) took the principle of freedom as the core of imagist theory, made the definition of freedom equal with the free verse, and even identified the liberty within literary domain with the capitalized Liberty referring more to political issues. We can also see the disappearing of the label “the revolutionist” from Liu’s text to Xu’s, and even tiny changes of words, worthy of tracing, in Xu’s variant versions in different historical contexts. Thus, I would like to clarify different interpretations of Pound and Lowell, and outline a clue to rethink new poetry and even new literature in China: from revolutionary discourses of the left-wing to the Third Men’s deviation from revolution; from political movements to commercial activities; from the combination of enlightenment and salvation to the dispute of cosmopolitanism and nationalism; from Russia to the US, etc. 1
- Ezra Pound,
- Amy Lowell,
- Six Principles of Imagism,
- Imagism,
- New Poetry,
- China

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References(59)

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