Within the Human Realm

This book is a study of the poetry of Huang Zunxian, one of the most famous authors of late nineteenth-century China. The first part consists of a detailed biography outlining Huang’s literary and political career. This is followed by a critical discussion of Huang’s poetry, including such topics as his theory of literature, his traditional verse, his highly original poetry on foreign lands, his political satire and his scientific verse. The book concludes with a generous sampling of his poetry in translation.

• Only the second book in English on a nineteenth-century Chinese poet • Includes translations of texts not previously available in English • Essential reading for anyone interested in nineteenth-century Chinese history

Preface; Part I. Biography: 1. The poet as a young man; 2. Huang, the diplomat; 3. Reform and reaction; Part II. Criticism: 4. The theory of the Poetic Revolution; 5. The practice of revolution; 6. Traditional themes; 7. Foreign climes; 8. The brave new world; 9. The development of Huang Zunxian’s satire; 10. The late satirical poetry; 11. Huang Zunxian and modern science; 12. Quatrains of 1899; 13. Fin de siècle; Part III. Translations: 14. Early verse (ca. 1864–1868); 15. The growing talent (1868–1877); 16. Tokyo (1877–1882); 17. San Francisco (1882–1885); 18. Return to China (1885–1890); 19. The empire on which the sun never sets (1890–1892); 20. Singapore (1891–1894); 21. War and reform (1894–1899); 22. Retirement (1899–1905); Notes; Bibliography; Index.