新加坡华文诗歌中的国家意识(1945-1970) = A Study of State Awareness in Singapore's Chinese Poetry (1945-1970)

Abstract

From 1945 to 1970, from the period of restlessness to a smooth transition, there was a group of Chinese poets in Singapore who dedicated themselves to hard writing. Some of them came from China, others were native born and bred authors; some remained ideologically neutral, whereas others inclined towards a popular ?Left-wing Literary Movement? (or ?Leftist Literary Movement?). As a strong form of literary expression, poetry is the poet's external image in the community. While most of the researchers are focusing on concerns reflected in the theme of poetry and reality of the content, the writer of this dissertation attempts to draw more attention on the state awareness concealed in the poetry. This thesis comprises of eight chapters. The first chapter is about the objective, significance and scope of the thesis. The second chapter provides an overview of the Left-wing Literary Movement with introduction of three possible forms of Singapore?s Left-wing Literature. The third chapter compares differences amongst state identity, ethnic identity and cultural identity in the Singapore?s Chinese poetry. The fourth chapter gives a detailed analysis of the various social concerns and themes of the Singapore?s Chinese poetry during the Anti-Colonialism Period in 1950s and 1960s. The fifth chapter analyses the external and internal factors building state awareness existed in the Singapore?s Chinese poetry. The sixth chapter gives an in-depth view on the gradual development of state awareness in the Singapore?s Chinese poetry with the switch of loyalty from China to Malaya and eventually Singapore. The seventh chapter examines the aesthetic concerns of the two main different styles of poetry writing, i.e. realism and modernism. The final chapter concludes and stresses the importance of highlighting state awareness in the Singapore?s Chinese poetry. In this dissertation, the writer also attempts to detect the diverse desires of state identity, cultural identity and ethnic identity from many poems written by the leftists during the time classified as ?Left-wing Literature?. Singapore's state awareness is ultimately established due to further development of these desires in the state-founding period. How the Left-wing Literary Movement influence the Singapore?s Chinese fictions, proses and play-scripts in 1950s and 1960s as compared with the Singapore?s Chinese poetry? What are the aesthetic achievements in these fictions, proses and play-scripts? These are some areas that the writer proposes for further research.