UC Davis

Employing the thematic concerns and theoretical methods of animal studies, this thesis investigates two representative poets of modern Chinese poetry: Shang Qin (1930-2010) and Zang Di (1964-). These two poets harness their poetic imaginations to explore the potential of re-establishing connections between humans and animals. In Shang Qin’s poems, surrealism is not merely a technical device; rather, animals contribute to the ability of the poems to traverse reality and dreams. Zang displays a deeper interest in re-engaging with earth and its inhabitants through the lens of poetic imagination, envisioning the limitless possibilities of life. These animal poems and the poetics of animals present an imagination that recalls animals from silence.