Late in life, Meng Chiao (A.D. 751--814) developed an
experimental poetry of virtuosic beauty, a poetry that anticipated
landmark developments in the modern Western tradition by a
millennium. With the T'ang Dynasty crumbling, Meng's later work
employed surrealist and symbolist techniques as it turned to a deep
introspection. This is truly major work-- work that may be the most
radical in the Chinese tradition. And though written more than a
thousand years ago, it is remarkably fresh and contemporary. But,
in spite of Meng's significance, this is the first volume of his
poetry to appear in English.
Until the age of forty, Meng Chiao lived as a poet-recluse
associated with Ch'an (Zen) poet-monks in south China. He then
embarked on a rather unsuccessful career as a government official.
Throughout this time, his poetry was decidedly mediocre,
conventional verse inevitably undone by his penchant for the
strange and surprising. After his retirement, Meng developed the
innovative poetry translated in this book. His late work is
singular not only for its bleak introspection and "avant-garde"
methods, but also for its dimensions: in a tradition typified by
the short lyric poem, this work is made up entirely of large poetic
sequences.
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