Black Night Consciousness and Ecofeminist Poetics in the Works of Zhai Yongming

Abstract:As we read Zhai Yongming's poetry from the 1980's to the present, we observe a transformation of her inward-oriented "black night consciousness" to a more outward-looking poetic mode that endeavors to shed light on social and environmental injustice. Her early poetry collection, Woman, articulates the unique nature of women's experiences and perceptions by foregrounding the interconnectedness between feminine subjectivity and the natural world. In some recent poems, by contrast, Zhai adopts a strong ecofeminist stance to engage in ecological critique of ills like prostitution, urban poverty, and crime, while as a poet she plays the role of sympathizer, observer, eyewitness, and mediator.