On Lin Shu's Early Literary Thoughts and Feelings through his Poetry, "The New Yuefu"

Abstract

Lin Shu, a poet from the school of Tong Cheng, was well-known for his translation of foreign fiction. His participation in constitutional and modernization reforms led by Kang You Wei, Liang Qi Chao and Tan Si Tong at the end of the Qing Dynasty influenced his writing. His first volume of bai hua (plain speech) poetry “min zhong xin yue fu” (The New Yuefu) was written in 1897, which expressed a sense of realism. His poetry shows his interests in democratic values. His poetry mainly accused the corruptions of Manchu officials, criticized the greed and aggression of western imperial powers, and the old customs and morality of China. Lin Shu’s poetry employed the comparative method in his study of western and Chinese culture, which has being considered progressive by literary critique. His poetry not only advocated “Learning from the West” but also promoted the change in Chinese monarchy system and the feudal rules and ethics. The volume was published before the movement of “Hundred Day’s Reform” and “Poetic Revolution”, which was believed to play an enlightening role in both movements. Therefore, this article intends to examine Lin Shu’s literary thoughts and themes through the study of his poetry, “The New Yuefu”.

Keywords: “The New Yuefu”, Lin Shu, Thoughts, Feelings