Configurations of Comparative Poetics : Three Perspectives on Western and Chinese Literary Criticism

This comprehensive comparative study of Western and Chinese poetics begins with broad examinations of the two traditions over more than two and a half millennia. From these parallel surveys, a series of important theoretical questions arises: How do Western and Chinese critics conceptualize the nature, origin, and function of literature? What are the fundamental differences, if any, in their ways of thinking about literature? Can we account for these differences by examining Western truth-based and Chinese process-based cosmological paradigms? What are the major distinctive concepts of literature developed within Western and Chinese poetics? How have these concepts impacted the development of the two traditions at various times? After considering a wide range of major critical texts, Configurations of Comparative Poetics presents bold and cogent answers to these questions while shedding light on the distinctive orientations of Western and Chinese poetics. The second half of the book features four comparative case studies: Plato and Confucius on poetry; Wordsworth and Liu Xie on the creative process; the twentieth-century'Imagists'and their earlier Chinese counterparts on the relationship of the Chinese written character to poetics; and Derrida and the Madhyamika Buddhists on language and onto-theology. The author not only identifies an array of critical concerns shared by Western and Chinese critics, but also differentiates the conceptual models used by each and traces them to cosmological paradigms. This comprehensive comparative study of Western and Chinese poetics begins with broad examinations of the two traditions over more than two and a half millennia. From these parallel surveys, a series of important theoretical questions How do Western and Chinese critics conceptualize the nature, origin, and function of literature? What are the fundamental differences, if any, in their ways of thinking about literature? Can we account for these differences by examining Western truth-based and Chinese process-based cosmological paradigms? What are the major distinctive concepts of literature developed within Western and Chinese poetics? How have these concepts impacted the development of the two traditions at various times? After considering a wide range of major critical texts, Configurations of Comparative Poetics presents bold and cogent answers to these questions while shedding light on the distinctive orientations of Western and Chinese poetics. The second half of the book features four comparative case Plato and Confucius on poetry; Wordsworth and Liu Xie on the creative process; the twentieth-century "Imagists" and their earlier Chinese counterparts on the relationship of the Chinese written character to poetics; and Derrida and the Madhyamika Buddhists on language and onto-theology. The author not only identifies an array of critical concerns shared by Western and Chinese critics, but also differentiates the conceptual models used by each and traces them to cosmological paradigms. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Major Chinese Dynasties......Page 12 Prologue......Page 14 Part I: Macrocosmic Structures of Western and Chinese Poetics......Page 20 1. The Orientation of Western Poetics: Conceptualizing Literature as Truth, Untruth, or Antitruth......Page 22 2. The Orientation of Chinese Poetics: Conceptualizing Literature as a Harmonizing Process......Page 46 3. Early Chinese Worldviews and Concepts of Literature......Page 84 4. The Systematics of Western and Chinese Poetics: Common Denominators, Differentiae, and Cosmological Paradigms......Page 114 Part II: Microcosmic Textures of Western and Chinese Poetics......Page 124 5. Poetics of Harmony: Plato and Confucius on Poetry......Page 126 6. Poetics of Imagination: Wordsworth and Liu Xie on Literary Creation......Page 155 7. Poetics of Dynamic Force: Fenollosa, Pound, and Chinese Critics on the Chinese Written Character......Page 184 8. Poetics of Deconstruction: Derrida and Madhyamika Buddhists on Language and Ontotheologies......Page 216 Epilogue. Reflections: Intracultural, Cross-cultural, and Transcultural Perspectives on Western and Chinese Literary Criticism......Page 252 Abbreviations......Page 270 Notes......Page 272 Works Cited......Page 330 Index......Page 360 About the Author......Page 374 Major Chinese Dynasties -- Macrocosmic Structures Of Western And Chinese Poetics -- The Orientation Of Western Poetics: Conceptualizing Literature As Truth, Untruth, Or Antitruth -- The Orientation Of Chinese Poetics: Conceptualizing Literature As A Harmonizing Process -- Early Chinese Worldviews And Concepts Of Literature -- The Systematics Of Western And Chinese Poetics: Common Denominators, Differentiae, And Cosmological Paradigms -- Microcosmic Textures Of Western And Chinese Poetics -- Poetics Of Harmony: Plato And Confucius On Poetry -- Poetics Of Imagination: Wordsworth And Liu Xie On Literary Creation -- Poetics Of Dynamic Force: Fenollosa, Pound, And Chinese Critics On The Chinese Written Character -- Poetics Of Deconstruction: Derrida And Madhyamika Buddhists On Language And Ontotheologies -- Epilogue: Reflections: Intracultural, Cross-cultural, And Transcultural Perspectives On Western And Chinese Literary Criticism. Zong-qi Cai. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 317-345) And Index.