贺双卿诗词中的“自我意识” = SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS IN HE SHUANGQING'S POETRY

Abstract

He Shuangqing, the first female peasant poet in the eighteenth century, interests many scholars because of her literary talent and ill-fated marriage. She makes her first appearance in Shi Zhenlin’s memoir Random Notes from Xiqing (Xiqing sanji). In Random Notes, the author introduces Shuangqing, records her life and poetry. However, the narrative of the poet has aroused suspicions about her real existence. Most research have been focusing on the confirmation of Shuangqing’s authenticity, less on Shuangqing’s poetry and her impacts to Chinese society in the eighteenth century, especially as a peasant poet. This thesis attempts to discover the sense of self-consciousness in Shuangqing’s poetry, seeking to redefine Shuangqing’s image as a peasant poet, thus giving a better understanding of peasant women’s mindset in the Qing dynasty. My thesis is composed of three chapters. The first chapter presents a literature review of relevant studies on Shuangqing. The second chapter examines the poet’s life, her thinking and personality. The third chapter analyses Shuangqing’s poetry in relation to self-consciousness. In conclusion, there is a strong expression of self-consciousness in Shuangqing’s poetry. Although she was unable to escape from her tragic marriage, the poet had made the effort to write poetry and to allow Shi to spread her stories and works despite all the difficulties she faced. Shuangqing’s poetry is significant in representing the life and voices of peasant women in the eighteenth century.