新华文学中的旧体诗

Classical-style poetry and prose can be said to be the earliest forms of writings in Singapore Chinese literature. It was through the vigorous efforts of Tso Ping-lung (1850-1924) and Huang Tsun-hsien (1848-1905)—then consulate-generals in Singapore appointed by the Qing government—that a literary scene gradually took shape. The two men were accomplished poets who wrote numerous works inspired by local sceneries, products and daily lives. They established literary societies, actively set up schools and encouraged writing, making way for the emergence of a literati class.

Later, Khoo Seok Wan (1874-1941) started other literary societies in the late 19th century to continue promoting the writing of classical-style poetry, including establishing Tan She (Sandalwood Society) with poet-monk Shi Ruiyu (c.1867-1953) and others in the 1920s. In 1926, Tan She published Tanxie shiji (Poetry Collection of the Sandalwood Society), which stands as the only extant collection of poems by a poetry society in Singapore in the early years. Its content reflects not only local life and culture, but also nostalgia for the homeland in China, revealing the complex emotions of early Chinese settlers in Singapore. Khoo himself also composed numerous Singapore-themed poems rich in Nanyang flavour.

In those days, Chinese poets frequently adopted the concise and popular “bamboo-branch verse” form of poetry to chronicle the daily life and social landscape of Southeast Asia, which helped to deepen our understanding of pre-war Singapore. Lee Keng Lian’s Nanyang zhuzhi ci huibian (Compendium of Bamboo-branch Verses of Southeast Asia) contains more than 4,000 of such poems published in Chinese-language newspapers.

During the Japanese Occupation, under the oppressive rule of the Japanese military government, a group of poets continued to engage in clandestine poetic exchanges, documenting their traumatic experiences and yearning for liberation from Japanese rule. Such works were published after the war and chronicled the entire history of the occupation, specifically mentions the Sook Ching Massacre, as well as the various forms of tyranny and social anomalies during the period.

Classical-style poetry flourished in Singapore from the post-war period to the country’s nation-building era. In 1958, a group of poets founded Xin Sheng Poets Society, which remains active today and is the oldest Chinese poetry society in Singapore. Poet Pan Shou (1911-1999), hailed as a “national treasure”, is considered Singapore’s last prominent 20th century poet who wrote in the classical style. A man of profound learning, Pan’s works are refined and concise, incorporating current affairs to offer fresh perspectives.

Classical-style poetry has readers of all ages today. The Xin Sheng Poets Society and the General Society for Chinese Classical Poetry (International) were founded in 1990, and the latter launched the biannual journal Xinzhou yayuan (Elegantiae Florilegium of the New Island) in 2015 to provide local poets and students with a platform to publish and exchange classical poetry. A group of students from the National University of Singapore also formed the Nanjin Poetry Club in 2016 to actively promote the study and writing of classical-style poetry on campus.