卞之琳

Bian Zhilin was a modern Chinese poet, translator, and scholar of foreign literature. Public information about him is limited, and his dates of birth and death and educational background cannot be firmly established. Eight of his works are held in the collection, revealing two main strands. The first is poetry: Ten Years of Poems 1930–1939: A Poetry Collection by Bian Zhilin and A Life of Looking Only at Scenery: A Poetry Collection by Bian Zhilin display his modern poetic style—condensed language, restrained imagery, and a careful attention to rhythm and intellect. The second is translation and research, including We Loved Then and Truly Knew Nothing: Selected English Poems, along with works centered on André Gide and T. S. Eliot, such as the Collected Works of Gide (10 volumes), Tradition and the Individual Talent (Essays of T. S. Eliot), The Collected Works of T. S. Eliot (5 volumes), and The Prodigal Son Comes Home. His work spans creative writing and translation, and has had a lasting influence on modern poetry and the appreciation of foreign literature.