Towards Redefining Chinese Baroque Poetry

Abstract

The modernity of the Baroque is determined by its non-mimetic, non-symbolic, or, simply, its allegorical form. As allegory, the Baroque undermines and obscures the specific literal meaning of a representation open to (symbolic) understanding. Allegory contains a representational element that allows for understanding but only in order to show that the understanding it reaches is necessarily in error. Chinese poets of the mid-late Tang experienced a similar case of ostracism from their contemporaries. Although their poetry was admired, poets like Meng Jiao, Li He and Li Shangyin went unappreciated and almost forgotten until later poets discovered them and their poetry was recognized not only as great poetry, but also as “Baroque” poetry. Through a comparative translation analysis of three of the mid-late Tang poets and poems, this essay tries to redefine Chinese Baroque poetry and to illustrate a baroque poetics not only in the way they depart from traditional, or symbolic poetic modes but also in how they subvert them.