Breaking Boundaries and "Making It New": Oriental Elements in Western Modernism by Zhaoming Qian (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Breaking Boundaries and "Making It New": Oriental Elements in Western Modernism by Zhaoming Qian Kent Su ZHAOMING QIAN Breaking Boundaries and "Making It New": Oriental Elements in Western Modernism Beijing. Peking University Press. 2023. 334 pages. TO REMIND HIMSELF of the paramount importance of the philosophical tradition of Confucianism, the ancient Chinese Shang Dynasty's emperor, Cheng Tang, inscribed on a washbasin the Confucian motto, "If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation." Over time, this core value underwent a process of cultural transmission and eventually found its way into the hands of the American poet Ezra Pound, who reinvented it as a modernist injunction that would become a guiding principle for the avant-garde. Pound's version of the motto, which he referred to as "make it new," encapsulated the spirit of [End Page 74] experimentation and innovation that defined the modernist movement. Breaking Boundaries and "Making It New": Oriental Elements in Western Modernism adapts its title from the ideas of novelty and innovation found in the Poundian clarion call to explore uncharted territories of literature. These sentiments of rupture and revolution were echoed by many other artists and writers who sought to challenge themselves and their audiences to find new ways of expressing themselves and the world around them. Zhaoming Qian, chancellor's professor emeritus at the University of New Orleans, has researched widely in areas of American modernism, interarts relations, East–West comparative poetics, and Asian American literature. This monograph aims to investigate how the influence of Eastern culture on Western art and literature can be seen through the works of eleven writers in the interdisciplinary fields of poetry, theater, film, art, and architecture. It seeks to explore how these eleven creators engaged in an unprecedented level of cultural exchange. The resultant cross-fertilization of ideas and styles had a significant impact on the world of art and literature, transforming the literary landscapes of the twentieth century. One of the book's most significant aspects is its discussion of the interlocutor theory. The interlocutor, as a potential mediator, is instrumental in bridging the gap between two different cultures and in facilitating understanding and communication between people from different backgrounds. Qian points out how the interlocutor in the works allows these themes of cultural diversity and differences to be respected. This monograph is the first to identify that some poets, such as W. B. Yeats, Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, or Marianne Moore, had the assistance of interlocutors who could help clarify misunderstandings, translate between languages, and provide information about cultural norms, values, and beliefs. For example, Pao Hsien Fang, a member of the local Naxi minority, contributed to Pound's comprehension of Lijiang, a paradise on earth situated in the Yunnan Province. The impact of Fang's language lessons on Pound is evident in Drafts and Fragments, where Pound reproduced two Naxi Dongba pictographs—the winnowing tray and the moon (Canto 112/785). These pictographs are a part of the Naxi tribe's ancient script, which showcases a deep connection with nature. Fang's letters to Pound reveal that Lijiang had a profound impact on the poet's final works. Fang expressed his wish for Pound to write more cantos about Lijiang, immortalizing the city in Pound's lyricism. By incorporating non-Han cultures into his work, Pound seems to be departing from Confucianism and undergoing a significant shift in tone. Notably, the ancient Chinese philosophy that Pound constantly advocated does not appear in the final sequence of The Cantos. Instead, Pound's references to the Naxi tribe reflect the possibility of a paradiso terrestre, a paradise on earth that exists in the farthest reaches of the world. Pound, in turn, informed Pao about the inclusion of Naxi culture in his modernist epic, The Cantos. This example highlights how cross-cultural collaboration can foster cultural understanding. According to Qian, while some artists had the assistance of interlocutors, others, like Wallace Stevens and Gary Snyder, drew inspiration from primary sources in East Asia. Stevens and Snyder were deeply attracted to the abstract philosophical and metaphysical concepts found in East Asian landscape paintings. Stevens was influenced...