The purpose of this study is to illustrate the main characteristics of Xindi’s 辛笛 (1912-2004) poetry, especially focusing on his significant poetry collection Palm 手掌集. The forty five poems in the Palm are divided into three sections corresponding to poet’s life, artistic viewpoint, formal structure and even lexical quality. According to the formal device of the Palm, this study also contains three major parts, together with introduction and conclusion. Part I, “Pearls” 珠貝篇, consists of thirteen poems and written between 1933 and 1937, and displays heavy traditional influence. In order to enhance the poems’ overall sentimental tone, the poet employs several styles and techniques of traditional Chinese poetry. Part II, “Foreign Lands” 異城篇, consists of twenty-two poems: seventeen poems written between 1936 and 1939 while he was a student at Edinburgh or on travels in Paris and London as well as five poems in Shanghai between 1945 and 1946. The former poems convey his sense of homesickness and the latter his deep sense of suffering and frustration on the socio-politically unstable Shanghai. Compared with Part I, Part II displays his strong interest in Western modernist poetry. Part III, “Palm” 手掌篇, consists of eleven poems and written between 1946 and 1947, and represents hie concerns on people’s endless sufferings. In order to strengthen his shared sorrow for people and express his sense of class guilt, the poet shows strong political attitude.

The purpose of this study is to illustrate the main characteristics of Xindi’s 辛笛 (1912-2004) poetry, especially focusing on his significant poetry collection Palm 手掌集. The forty five poems in the Palm are divided into three sections corresponding to poet’s life, artistic viewpoint, formal structure and even lexical quality. According to the formal device of the Palm, this study also contains three major parts, together with introduction and conclusion. Part I, “Pearls” 珠貝篇, consists of thirteen poems and written between 1933 and 1937, and displays heavy traditional influence. In order to enhance the poems’ overall sentimental tone, the poet employs several styles and techniques of traditional Chinese poetry. Part II, “Foreign Lands” 異城篇, consists of twenty-two poems: seventeen poems written between 1936 and 1939 while he was a student at Edinburgh or on travels in Paris and London as well as five poems in Shanghai between 1945 and 1946. The former poems convey his sense of homesickness and the latter his deep sense of suffering and frustration on the socio-politically unstable Shanghai. Compared with Part I, Part II displays his strong interest in Western modernist poetry. Part III, “Palm” 手掌篇, consists of eleven poems and written between 1946 and 1947, and represents hie concerns on people’s endless sufferings. In order to strengthen his shared sorrow for people and express his sense of class guilt, the poet shows strong political attitude.

辛笛, 九葉詩派, 手掌集, 中國新詩