Cultural Transplantation: The Writing of Classical Chinese Poetry in Colonial Singapore 1887-1945 (Chinese Overseas, 22)

This book examines how classical Chinese poetry took root and developed in colonial Singapore, integrating both traditional and new literary features to express in a lyrical way the sojourner’s sentiments and local consciousness of Chinese immigrant poets. Contents Acknowledgments Illustrations Note on Romanization Introduction 1 Cultural Transplantation 2 Toward a Nanyang Poetics 3 Identity, Diaspora, and Sinophone Literature 3.1 Identity 3.2 Diaspora and Sinophone 4 Content of the Book 1 Founding Fathers: Qing Consul-Poets Zuo Binglongand Huang Zunxian 1 Zuo and Huang’s Promotion of Chinese Culture and Literature 2 Lament of a Sojourner: Zuo Binglong’s Poetry 3 An Intellectual’s Perspective: Huang Zunxian’s Poetry 2 Naming and Local Colour: Qiu Shuyuan and His“Star Island” Poetry 1 Qiu Shuyuan’s Dramatic and Legendary Life 2 Naming: “Star Island” and the “Eight Scenes” 2.1 “Star Island” 2.2 The Eight Scenes of Star Island 3 Nanyang Colour 3 Building Cultural Space: Qiu Shuyuan andSingapore’s Literary Community 1 The Lizeshe 2 Tanshe and Its Poetry 2.1 The Founding of the Tanshe and Its Poets 2.2 Local Consciousness and Nostalgia in the Tanshe Poetry 2.2.1 Local Consciousness 2.2.2 Nostalgia 4 Reinventing the Blue Tower Tradition: Poetry onProstitution 1 Chinese Prostitution in Colonial Singapore 2 Traditional Courtesan Culture and Literature 3 Qiu Shuyuan’s Sensual Poetry 3.1 Intimacy 3.2 Imagination 5 Versifying Religious Belief: Sinitic Buddhism andBuddhist Poets 1 New Developments of Sinitic Buddhism in China and Singapore 2 Buddhist Poetry in Singapore 2.1 Qiu Shuyuan 2.2 Li Juncheng 2.3 Ruiyu 6 Lyrical Records of Social Mores: Bamboo BranchVerse and Singapore Society 1 Generic Distinctiveness and Functions of Zhuzhici 2 Nanyang in the Eyes of Zhuzhici Writers 2.1 Social Comments 2.2 Nostalgia and Domestic Life 3 Qiu Shuyuan’s Bamboo Branch Verse 7 The Uprooted Orchid: Lanhua ji Poets in theOccupation Period 1 The Loyalist Tradition and Literature of the Occupied Areas 2 Classical-Style Poetry and War-Resistance Literature 3 Description of the Fall of Singapore 4 Literary Gatherings of the Lanhua ji Poets Epilogue: What Then? Selected Bibliography Sources in Chinese Sources in English Index