Abstract: This essay explicates three principles of Charles Bernstein's avant-garde poetics while reflecting on his new book of Pitch of Poetry, highlighting the contribution of Bernstein, as a leading figure of language poetry, to avant-garde poetics in the West. The first of the three principles is non-stop exploration. Bernstein is now a well-established figure. However, he insists “Our journeys don't end, our business is unfinished”, and has been consistently carrying out exploration in the field of avant-garde poetics. The second is poetics of organization. Bernstein considers that “organizing is a poetic practice”, and has served as a strong “connective tissue” for the circle of avant-garde poets by taking up many organizing activities and offering assistance to many poets. The third is ever-expanding L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E family. Bernstein is considered as a founder of language poetry and has been urging its development. Paradoxically, Bernstein himself suggests that “Language Poetry does not exist”. It is because Bernstein has never attempted to force upon others of his poetics, allowing all poets of the group to have complete freedom to carry out their own exploration. Thus each poet of this group is writing poetry of their own individual characters, though they share a certain family resemblance. The three principles of Charles Bernstein's avant-garde poetics could shed great light for pushing forward the development of avant-garde poetry in China.

Key words: Charles Bernstein, avant-garde poetry, language poetry, principles of poetics