L'altro nell'Altro. Avanguardie poetiche nella Cina contemporanea

Literature convey the Way (wen yi zai dao), is a traditional Chinese notion that explains how Chinese literature has been strictly linked to politics since ancient times. The idea tha the value of literature could depend on this notion influenced the Chinese poetic production for centuries. It is only during the XX century, in particular since the end of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) that writers and poets begin to question the validity of this strong connection. It is the partial separation of literature from politics occured in the last three decades that contributed to the birth and development of what in China today is known as avant-garde poetry. This article briefly presents the evolution of Chinese poetry starting from the late 1970s, with the birth of an unofficial poetry scene with the Obscure Poets as its main expression, until the beginning of twenty-first century, when the develpoment of a new aesthetic, the so-called Earthly Aesthetic, attracted the attention of the Chinese literary realm.