The Epiphany of Language：The Connotation of Taoism-Zen in Charles Bernstein’s Echopoetics

Abstract

Abstract: As a prominent representative figure of American Language poetry, Charles Bernstein has incorporated a large number of themes concerning “nothingness” in his poetry. Contrary to the traditional Western philosophy that defines the concept of “nothingness” as meaninglessness and agnosticism,“nothingness” in Bernstein's poetics is endowed with profound poetic and aesthetic implications. Bernstein studied the works of Taoist and Zen philosophy in his early years. Understanding the Taoist-Zen connotations of “nothingness” is an important new dimension in interpreting Bernstein's echopoetics. Bernstein integrates the anti-traditional ideas in Taoist and Zen philosophy and aesthetics with the experiment of American avant-garde poetry. “The transformation between Xu (emptiness) and Shi (Being), ”the beauty of“speechlessness” and the expression of “Defamiliarization”show the “epiphany” of language and the “nature”of language. The Chinese traditional Taoist and Zen philosophy is an important part of Bernstein's echopoetics.

Key words: Echopoetics, Charles Bernstein, Taoism-Zen, Language poetry

Feng Yi. The Epiphany of Language：The Connotation of Taoism-Zen in Charles Bernstein’s Echopoetics[J]. Foreign Literature Studies, 2019, 41(3): 46-58.

References

[1] Bernstein, Charles.All the Whiskey in Heaven: Selected Poems. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2010.
[2] 查尔斯·伯恩斯坦:《回音诗学》.刘朝晖译,暨南大学出版社,2018年.
[---. Echopoetics. Translated by Liu Zhaohui, Jinan UP, 2018.]
[3] ---. Near/Miss. The U of Chicago P, 2018.
[4] ---. Pitch of Poetry. The U of Chicago P, 2016.
[5] ---. Recalculating. The U of Chicago P, 2013.
[6] 陈盛:《论杰克·凯鲁亚克俳句的禅意》,《当代外国文学》第31卷第1期,2010年4月,第161—67页.
[Chen Sheng.“Zen Buddhism in Kerouac’s Haiku.” Contemporary Foreign Literature, vol. 31, no. 1,Apr. 2010, pp. 161-67.]
[7] 陈跃红:《“活句”与“死句”:道家美学的语言策略》,《贵州大学学报》第59卷第4期,1990年10月,第38—41,88页.
[Chen Yuehong.“‘Sentence Alive’ and ‘Sentence Dead’: Language Strategy of Daoism Aesthetics.” The Journal of Guizhou University, vol. 49, no. 4, Oct. 1990, pp. 38-41,88.]
[8] Chung-yuan,Chang. Creativity and Taoism: A Study of Chinese Philosophy, Art and Poetry. Harper Colophon Books, 1970.
[9] Fader, L. A. “D. T.Suzuki’s Contribution to the West.” A Zen life: D. T. Suzuki Remembered, edited by Masao Abe and John Weatherhill, Weatherhill, 1986, pp. 95-108.
[10] 范明华:《论“虚无”在中国美学思想中的意义》,《东岳论丛》第30卷第5期,2009年5月,第130—34页.
[Fan Minghua.“On the Significance of ‘Nothingness’ in Chinese Aesthetics.” Dongyue Tribune,vol. 30, no. 5, May 2009,pp. 130-34.]
[11] 葛兆光:《增订本中国禅思想史》.上海古籍出版社,2008年.
[Ge Zhaoguang.An Updated Edition to the History of Chinese Zen Thoughts. Shanghai Classics Publishing House, 2008.]
[12] ——:《禅宗与中国文化》.上海人民出版社,1985年.
[---. Zen and Chinese Culture. Shanghai People’s Publishing House,1985.]
[13] 胡敏:《论禅宗诗歌的“陌生化”表现手法》,《中国文化研究》第16卷第4期,2008年11月,第63—70页.
[Hu Min.“Defamiliarization in Chinese Zen Poetry.” The Study of Chinese Culture, vol. 16, no. 4, Nov. 2008, pp. 63-70.]
[14] 老子:《道德经》.Arthur Waley 译,外语教学与研究出版社,1997年.
[Lao Tzu. Tao Te Ching.Translated by Arthur Waley,Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 1997.]
[15] 罗良功:《查尔斯·伯恩斯坦诗学简论》,《江西社会科学》第34卷第5期,2013年5月,第93—98页.
[Luo Lianggong.“Introduction to Charles Bernstein’s Poetics.” Jiangxi Social Science, vol. 34, no. 5, May 2013,pp. 93-98.]
[16] 毛宣国:《中国古代“无”的哲学美学智慧及启示》,《求索》第26卷第4期,2006年4月,第127—130页.
[Mao Xuanguo.“The Philosophical and Aesthetic Wisdom and Insights in Chinese Traditional ‘Nothingness’.” Seeker, vol. 49, no. 4, Apr. 2006, pp. 127-30.]
[17] 米家路:《望道与旅程:中西诗学的幻象与跨越》.秀威资讯科技,2017年.
[Mi Jialu.The Tao and The Routes: Mirage and Transfiguration in Western and Chinese Poetics. Showwe Information Co. Ltd., 2017.]
[18] Morton, Timothy.“Ecology as Text, Text as Ecology.” Oxford Literary Review, vol. 32, no. 1, June 2010, pp. 1-17.
[19] 聂珍钊:《查尔斯·伯恩斯坦教授访谈录》,《外国文学研究》第29卷第2期,2007年4月,第 10—19页.
[Nie Zhenzhao.“Interview with Charles Bernstein.” Foreign Literature Studies, vol. 29, no. 2, Apr. 2007, pp. 10-19.]
[20] 邱紫华余锐:《不可言说的言说——禅的意会思维特征及其表达方式》,《华中师范大学学报》第42卷第6期,2006年11月,第101—105页.
[Qiu Zihua and Yu Rui. “Speaking the Unspeakable: The Thought Pattern and Its Manifestation in Zen.” Journal of Huazhong Normal University, vol. 42, no. 6, Nov. 2006,pp. 101-05.]
[21] Suzuki D. T.“Wisdom in Emptiness.” Selected Works of D.T. Suzuki, vol. III, edited by Jeff Wilson and Tomoe Moriya, U of California P, 2016, pp. 201-25.
[22] 叶维廉:《中国诗学》.人民文学出版社,2007年.
[Wai-lim Yip. Chinese Poetics. People’s Literature Publishing House, 2007.]
[23] ——:《道家美学与西方文化》.北京大学出版社,2002年.
[---. Taoist Aesthetics and Western Culture. Peking UP, 2002.]
[24] 张节末:《道禅对儒家美学的冲击》,《哲学研究》第44卷第 9期, 1998年9月,第55—61页.
[Zhang Jiemo.“The Countercultural Effects of Zen-Daoism on Confucian Aesthetics.” Philosophy Studies,vol. 44, no. 9, Sept. 1998, pp. 55-61.]
[25] 张子清:《美国禅诗》,《南京理工大学学报》第29卷第3期,2016年6月,第1—13页.
[Zhang Ziqing. “American Zen Poetry.” Journal of Nanjing University of Science and Technology, vol. 29, no. 3, June 2016, pp. 1-13. ]
[26] ——:《从边缘到主流:关于垮掉派诗歌的反思》,《江汉大学学报》第26卷第 4期,2009年8月, 第15—19页.
[---. “From Margin to Main Stream: the Reflection on Beat Poetry.” The Journal of Jianghan University , vol. 26, no. 4, Aug. 2009, pp. 15-19.]
[27] 赵毅衡:《诗神远游:中国如何改变了美国现代诗》.四川文艺出版社,2013年.
[Zhao Yiheng.The Muse from Cathay. Sichuan Literary Publishing House,2013.]
[28] 朱良志:《美是不可分析的——评道禅哲学关于美问题的一个观点》,《学术月刊》第55卷第8期, 2011年8月,第11—16页.
[Zhu Liangzhi.“Uninterpretable Aesthetics: On an Opinion of Zen-Daoism Aesthetics.” Academy Monthly,vol. 55, no. 8, Aug. 2011, pp. 11-16.]
[29] 朱雪峰:《美国先锋戏剧里的道禅思想与美学:一种跨文化谱系考察》,《当代外国文学》第38卷第 4期,2017年11月,第35—43页.
[Zhu Xuefeng.“Tao and Zen in the Politics and Aesthetics of American Avant Garde Theatre: Approaching an Intercultural Genealogy.” Contemporary Foreign Literature, vol. 38,no. 4, Nov. 2017,pp. 35-43.]