The Beat Generation and its“Boorish”Growth in China

杨一帆

Abstract:On the basis of the comparison of Boorish poetry and poetry of the Beat Generation,this paperpresents the similarities and differences of these two groups in several aspects,coming to a conclusion that Boorish poetry inherited some features of the Beat Generation,but we cannot equalize them.This pa-per is connected closely with the social and cultural background of China and America in the last centu-ry,which may help to learn these two groups to a further extent and gain more understanding of the his-torical change reflected by literature in two countries.

Key word:The Beat Generation;Boorish poetry;comparison;cultural differences

中圖分类号：I561 文献标识码：Ａ 文章编号：1005-5312（2020）30-0004-02 DOI：10.12228/j.issn.1005-5312.2020.30.002

一、On background and origin

The Beat Generation is a group gathering after the World WarⅡ,which consisted of young poets and writ-ers.Following the tragedy of war,the mainstream cul-ture in America attempted to build a new capitalist system.During this period,the Beat Generation ap-peared as a power fighting against it.This group dis-missed any responsibility but chased after immediate joy,and endowed their value into literary works,cre-ating a cult in the American culture.

According to scholars,its quick development was not only due to the strong support at that time,but was helped by its“predecessor”,the Lost Generation,which showed up after World WarⅠand refers to those who felt frustrated to life because of their mental stigma.Its not hard for us to find their similari-ties and connections.

Unlike what happened in America,the Boorish poet-ry in China was actuated by both inner and outer forces.The1980s when the trend started was a criti-cal time for China,for it has just witnessed the Great Cultural Revolution,a ideological and political movement making China terribly backward.Having been depressed by it for quite a long time,it was natural for Chinese readers to produce a sense of resonance to this kind of foreign poetry,and were inspired to cre-ate their own works.Symbolized by Li Yawei,the Boor-ish poetry abandoned grace and dignity rooted in Chi-nese culture,believing all beautification of languageis subjective and meaningless,and instead initiated an unconstrained style.

It was also found that the Misty poetry,an oppo-site poetry style was popular in China just ahead of the Boorish,thus one of the slogans of the Boorish poetry was to destroy this reserved and graceful style with manliness.

二、On theme and style

The Beat Generation became a bomb in America.Ac-cording to scholars,it is the most concentrated mani-festation of the moral decay in American bourgeoisie.In them,all the noble moral and beautiful sentiments which had been created by humans for thousands of years were gone,leaving behind nothing but vileness,filth,licentiousness,decadence and corruption.We can see this color clearly in one of the Allen Gins-bergs works,Howl.

...who cowered in unshaven rooms in underwear,burning their money in wastebaskets and listening to the Terror through the wall,who got busted in their public beards returning though Laredo with a belt of marijuana for New York,who ate fire in paint hotels or drank turpentine in Parasite Alley,death,or purgatoried their torsos nigh after night,with dreams,with drugs,with waking nightmares,alcohol and cock and endless balls...(Allen Ginsberg,1956)

The harsh words and dangerous tendency in it easi-ly shocked readers,and the image such as drugs,sex,violence also became the main theme for the Beat Gen-eration.

As for Boorish poetry,as Li Yawei himself said,one of the most distinguishing features is its boldwords,which was rooted in youth,blood,illness and shamelessness.These Boorish poets didnt own critical thinking skills,but took advantage of their potential impulse and comprehension to fulfill those abstract concepts.Take the I want to go on a ship to Paris for example.

I want to go on a ship to Paris,to see Van Gogh,to see Baudelaire,to see Picasso,further investigate of their concealed family affiliation,and shoot these bastards,distribute evenly the women they have almost too little time to have sex with to you and me,to Confucius and his disciples.（胡冬，1984）

From this aspect,the behaviors of Boorish poets were exactly similar to those of the Beat Generation,both focusing on violence,debauchery and the like.Hence,we can easily find the intimate relationship of these two groups.

Another apparent feature of the Boorish poetry is its colloquial language,though some scholars thought this use was a passive choice for Boorish poets to draw a clear distinction with tradition such as the Misty poetry.

三、On major figures

In the western academia,the comments for the Beat Generation are still complex.On the one hand,they challenged all social norms and even committed crimes.On the other hand,a large number of these writers be-longed to elite in America,and their works featured elitism,making this group a paradox in essence.While many of them have become big names,it can be said that they were as rough-and-tumble as their works.

Similar to them,the Boorish poets had some posi-tive effects on contemporary poetry while was criti-cized by some professionals.However,the Boorish po-etry movement lasted for only two years,making its core culture not really stable.Rebellious as the Boorish poets used to be,they gradually deviated from this road and went back to normal life.In this sense,the Boorish poets might be affected less by their group,which is also one reason accounting for their less influence compared to the Beat Generation.

四、On scope

The Beat Generation is a movement originated in the literary and art circles in America,including po-em,prose,novel,drama,movie,painting and so on.It quickly converged into a kind of counterculture,caus-ing a tremendous stir in the American society.

Compared to it,the Boorish poetry was relatively restricted in the scope of literature,which can re-flect its less importance to society.

五、On their influences

The Beat Generation had a revolutionized effect onthe entire western world.As the most important power to challenge the traditional value,it shocked the mainstream culture and took some positive roles in that time.For instance,they laid the foundation for the civil rights movement of black Americans in the1960s.Furthermore,some one of the Beat Generation were interested in eastern civilization,promoting Zen and Buddhism to some extent in western world.Whereas,this trend undoubtedly brought lots of negative im-pacts on readers,especially on American youth.

In terms of Boorish poetry,there is no denying that this writing style indeed added some new colors to the Chinese poetry,but it was really limited as well.Li Yawei always displayed their characteristics in Boorish poetry in a high-profile way.He once said,“First,find distance;Second,find alcohol;Third,find woman.”He attempted to generate a rogue image impressing others.However,this image is far differ-ent from that of the Beat Generation,for Boorish po-etry didnt form a stable subculture or had some radi-cal conflicts with the social value,but just did something vulgar or rude.They havent truly committed crimes,and what they did can only be counted as mild-ly immoral behaviors.All things considered,the in-fluences of Boorish poetry tend to be superficial.

六、Conclusion

From these all above,we come to a conclusion that the Boorish poetry is not the Chinese version of the Beat Generation since there are great differences of various respects between these two groups.Although the Boorish poetry was affected by the Beat Generation and inherited some features of it,and both of them have made certain contributions to cultural develop-ment,the Boorish poetry cannot compete with the Beat Generation as the“Boorish”growth of it in China.

Reference：

[1]陳大为.阴影里的明灭：美国垮掉派对李亚伟“莽汉诗歌”的影响研究[J].诗探索,2012,(2):4-24.

[2]黎风.新诗的“口语化”写作——以四川诗歌创作为例[N].光明日报,2015,(7).

[3]万李,邹小英.论“垮掉一派”的误读及理解[J].中国校外教育,2007,(3):8.