Classical Chinese Poetry in Singapore: Witnesses to Social and Cultural Transformations in the Chinese Community.

• Author: Goh, Meow Hui
• Position: Book review

Classical Chinese Poetry in Singapore: Witnesses to Social and Cultural Transformations in the Chinese Community. By BING WANG. Lanham, Md.: LEXINGTON BOOKS, 2018. Pp. xii + 189. $90 (cloth); $85.50 (e-book).

This study aims to uncover "a neglected treasure trove in Nanyang [i.e., Southeast Asian] culture" and "render a special cultural heritage accessible [to the people in Singapore and Southeast Asia at large]" (p. 7). The treasure trove the author is referring to are the classical Chinese poems produced by the poets of Singapore from the late nineteenth century to contemporary time, the history of which he outlines in three main chapters (in addition to an introduction and a conclusion). The first main chapter, "Identity: Whose Nanyang Is it?," focuses on delineating the poets' identification with Singapore (as opposed to China, especially among the Chinese immigrant poets who lived through the late 1800s to the pre-WWII period, whom the author calls "the first-generation" poets), touching on issues such as "acculturation" and "localization." The next main chapter, "Community: How to Shape Cultural Space?," traces the formation of groups, clubs, societies, and organizations of classical Chinese poetry, highlighting the close-knit relationship among poets in Singapore as well as between them and the "visiting literati" from China. The last main chapter, "Medium: What Are the Influences on Classical Poetry?," contends that three types of media--newspaper, anthology, and the internet--have each played the role of creating a "classical Chinese poetry scene" in Singapore at different historical times. Conceptually, the author attempts to situate his study within "diasporic literature and Sinophone literature," announcing that he will "set aside the Sino-centric title 'Overseas Chinese/Chinese-Language Literature' (haiwai Huaren/wen wenxue) and the all-encompassing view of 'World Literature in Chinese/by Chinese' (shijie Huawen/ren wenxue)" (p. 135). Although this is not the first focused study of classical Chinese poetry in Singapore, it is, as far as I am aware, the first book-length study of the subject in English, lending the work a substantial significance. Its intended scope and approach, as introduced above, promise a comprehensive and multifaceted analysis of Singapore's cultural and literary history. But what unfolds is a limited narrative flawed by over-generalization/simplification, imprecision, and even mischaracterization and...