Ding Ning (Unannotated Edition)

刘大白Feb 2015

Rating 3.3

Word count: 16K words
Chapters: 171

Summary

Liu Dabai (1880-1932), originally named Jin Qingyan, later took the surname Liu, with the given name Jingyi and the courtesy name Dabai, and was a native of Pingshui Town, Shaoxing, Zhejiang. A renowned modern poet and historian of literature, he participated in the New Culture Movement during the May Fourth period and was one of the advocates of vernacular poetry. His major works include the new-poetry collection Old Dreams (later reorganized into four volumes: Ding Ning, Remaking, Tears of Autumn, and The Cloth-Seller's Ballad), A Kiss by Post, and the old-style collection Poems from the White House. His poems on the suffering of the common people had the greatest influence. His new poetry, evolved from old-style verse, features intense emotion, brisk and forceful language, and easy accessibility. By addressing major social themes with a distinct local color, it stood apart on the May Fourth poetry scene. Ding Ning, one of his new-poetry collections, contains sixty-three poems in the "Ding Ning" group, one hundred and one in the "Old Dream" group, and four in the "Little Bird" group.

Editor's review

The value of Ding Ning lies not only in its individual poems but in the way it preserves, intact, the traces of a pioneer feeling his way toward vernacular poetry. The three groups of poems collected here are substantial in number: some address social realities and the hardships of ordinary people, while others are emotionally intense lyric miniatures written in brisk, lucid language. Their syntax, rhythm, and imagery still bear the marks of having emerged from classical poetry, which is precisely what allows us to see how, in its earliest phase, the new poetry sought a new voice within old forms. This unannotated edition provides no explanatory material, so readers confront the text itself more directly and can better appreciate the rawness and vitality of a poetry not yet fully formed. It rewards slow reading outside the literary-history classroom: one may attend to the sympathy and critique in the social poems, or observe how vernacular Chinese gradually becomes natural and forceful. For writers, the book's use of colloquial speech, rhythm, and rural experience remains instructive; for general readers, it may serve as a side window onto the spiritual climate of the May Fourth generation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University students and researchers in modern Chinese literature
General readers curious about the early phase of vernacular poetry
General readers interested in May Fourth poetry on social themes
General readers who enjoy plain, brisk lyric language
Scholars specializing in Liu Dabai or the genesis of new poetry

Not a good fit for

General readers who prefer strong plot and fast-paced narrative
First-time readers who need detailed annotations and background guidance
Readers who find the rawness of early vernacular poetry hard to get used to

Reading tips

Start with the short poems to feel the rhythm of the language, then move on to the longer works on social themes.
Read three to five poems a day and jot down traces of classical poetry and vernacular innovations; there is no need to rush.
Read alongside materials on May Fourth literary history, placing the hardships of ordinary people back in their historical context.
After finishing, try imitating one poem to appreciate the difficulties of rhythm and diction when vernacular enters poetry.

版权信息
丁宁之群
盼月
救命
雪
这沈吟……为甚？
燕子去了
月夜
舟行晚霁所见
立秋日病里口占
问西风
促织
爱
心印
丁宁（一）
丁宁（二）
秋深了
月蚀
病院里雨后看吴山
一座大山
黄昏
“两个老鼠抬了一个梦”（一）
“两个老鼠抬了一个梦”（二）
姻缘——爱
夜坐忆故乡老梅
一样的鸡叫
看牡丹底唐花
看盆栽的千叶红梅
寂寞（一）
寂寞（二）
寂寞（三）
寂寞（四）
送灶
车中人语
捉迷藏
一幅神秘的画图
在湖滨公园看人放轻气泡儿
愁和忧底新领土
春问（一）
春问（二）
春问（三）
春问（四）
一颗露珠儿
春风吹鬓影
泪泉之井
生命底箭
龟
生和死底话
包车的杭州城
春雪
“送花是表示爱情的？”
失恋的东风
一丝丝的相思
夜宿海日楼望月
明日春分了
梦短疑夜长
春意
一
二
三
四
五
六
一个她底话
雨里过钱塘江
西渡钱塘江遇雨
旧梦之群
归梦
一
二
三
四
五
六
七
八
九
十
十一
十二
十三
十四
十五
十六
十七
十八
十九
二十
二十一
二十二
二十三
二十四
二十五
二十六
二十七
二十八
二十九
三十
三十一
三十二
三十三
三十四
三十五
三十六
三十七
三十八
三十九
四十
四十一
四十二
四十三
四十四
四十五
四十六
四十七
四十八
四十九
五十
五十一
五十二
五十三
五十四
五十五
五十六
五十七
五十八
五十九
六十
六十一
六十二
六十三
六十四
六十五
六十六
六十七
六十八
六十九
七十
七十一
七十二
七十三
七十四
七十五
七十六
七十七
七十八
七十九
八十
八十一
八十二
八十三
八十四
八十五
八十六
八十七
八十八
八十九
九十
九十一
九十二
九十三
九十四
九十五
九十六
九十七
九十八
九十九
一百
一百○一
小鸟之群
小鸟

FAQ

What place does Ding Ning hold among Liu Dabai's new poems?

It is one of the four volumes into which Liu Dabai's new poetry collection Old Dreams was reorganized, containing sixty-three poems from 'The Ding Ning Group,' one hundred and one from 'The Old Dreams Group,' and four from 'The Little Bird Group.' It offers a concentrated view of his vernacular poetry and its transitional features.

Is the unannotated edition hard to read?

Liu Dabai's poetry is generally brisk and accessible, but early vernacular poetry still bears traces of classical verse and touches on the social context of the May Fourth period. Without annotations, first-time readers can begin with literary history for background and then return to a close reading of the text; readers with some foundation can go straight in.

Why does his poetry still have a classical flavor?

Liu Dabai moved from writing in classical forms to vernacular poetry, so habits of syntax, rhythm, and imagery from classical verse linger. This 'molt' is not a flaw; it records how early new poetry extricated itself from old forms, and readers can treat it as a clue to observing the growth of vernacular poetry.

How should the social themes in the book be understood?

Liu Dabai was most influential for his works depicting the hardships of ordinary people, which often carry sympathy, critique, and real-world concern. Rather than looking only for slogans, readers can notice how he organizes emotion through accessible language and rural experience—this reveals the choices of a May Fourth poet more clearly than abstract talk of 'progress.'

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About the author

刘大白 Author

Liu Dabai is one of the noteworthy authors in the early period of modern Chinese vernacular poetry. This site collects five of his works, including unannotated editions of Selling Cloth Ballads, A Postmarked Kiss, Rebuilding, Tears of Autumn, and Dingning. Public information about his life is limited, and his nationality and dates of birth and death still require further verification, so no inferences are made here. Judging from the surviving works, his writing consists mainly of short lyric poems, with plain language and fresh imagery; he draws poetic meaning from everyday observations and personal feelings, showing the simple atmosphere of early new poetry experiments. These works are often classified as classic works and are suitable reading for understanding the beginnings of modern Chinese poetry. His poems are short, naturally paced, and direct yet delicate in emotional expression, offering some reference value for later vernacular poetry. Readers can use these five works to sense the traces of poetic language exploration of that period.