EAWLC Poetry Series: Decoding ‘Second Farewell to Cambridge’

Near the River Cam in Cambridge, King’s College set up a memorial garden for
Xu Zhimo, a pioneer of modern Chinese poetry who studied at King’s College in 1921-22.  At the entrance to the garden, stands a white granite stone carved with the beginning and last lines of Xu’s most famous poem ‘Second Farewell to Cambridge’.  Xu wrote the poem in 1928 after re-visiting the university.  Three years later he died in an airplane crash at the age of 35.  Xu was one of the prominent intellectuals who pushed forward the New Culture Movement in China around 1920’s.  He wrote and promoted free verse poems and essays in vernacular Chinese, and was the first to introduce poetry works of western romantics to China.  His marriages and love affairs with three renowned women controversially illustrates his life time goal of pursuing love, freedom and beauty.  Under all this glamour, Xu is a learned scholar deeply influenced by both eastern and western cultures.  Before he went to study at the University of Cambridge, he learned Laws at Peking University, graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Clark University, Massachusetts, majoring in Political and Social Sciences with a minor in History, and did graduate studies in Economics and Politics at Columbia University.  In 1925, Xu travelled to Moscow to observe the newly
established Soviet Union.  He left with vivid accounts of his observations
and insightful reflections, many of his forecasts only to be Proven later by
the history. [1]-[3]

David Shang is an independent scholar and editor specializing in modern
Chinese literature and history.  He graduated from Nankai University with a
doctorate in Literature.  David has published numerous books and articles in
academic field as well as prestigious magazines across China, Taiwan and Hong
Kong.  He also edited and compiled several textbooks and literature book
series in China.  He has been invited to give lectures by renowned online
radio stations, podcasts, apps and book stores.  David moved to Toronto in
2019, and is working with publishers as a freelance producer and editor.

We are very much delighted that David is coming to our club to decode the
most famous poem by Xu Zhimo for us.  Using his exceptional historical
thinking and anthropological expedition to literature, David will lead us
through a century’s time to meet the poet, and see what secrets he had
concealed in ‘Second Farewell to Cambridge’.

Time: Friday September 18, 2020 8:00-9:30 P.M. Eastern Time

Language: Mandarin

Free online Zoom meeting.  Maximum capacity 100 participants.  Meetings
will be open 15 minutes prior to the lecture time.  Please click below link
to enter:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87134664583
Meeting ID: 871 3466 4583

For inquiries, please contact: ericliujt@gmail.com
<mailto:ericliujt@gmail.com> .  Thanks!

References:

[1] Xu Zhimo Memorial Garden Unveiled at King’s, King’s College Cambridge,
13 Aug 2018:
https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/news/2019/xu-zhimo-memorial-garden-unveiled-kin
gs

[2] ‘Second Farewell to Cambridge’, King’s College Choir, YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjTBYzmVnXI

[3] Su Zhimo, Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xu_Zhimo

学东西俱乐部诗歌文学系列讲座:解密《再别康桥》

在英国剑桥的康和和畔,剑桥大学国王学院为徐志摩设立的纪念花园入口处,一块汉白玉大理石碑竖立在草地上,上面刻着《 再别康桥》中最有名的四句诗:“轻轻的我
走了 正如我轻轻的来 我辉一辉衣袖 不带走一片云彩”。徐志摩1921-22年在国王学院学习过一年多,1928年重访剑桥后,写下了这首脍炙人口的《再别康
桥》。三年后因飞机失事去世,时年35岁。他是中国近代新文化运动的发起者之一,最早将西方浪漫主义诗风引入白话诗的创作中,一生追求爱、自由和美,与张幼仪、林
徽因、陆小曼的婚姻或情感纠葛为世人所熟知。它也是一位学贯中西的学者,先后在北京大学、美国克拉克大学、哥伦比亚大学和英国剑桥大学学习过法律、政治与社会
学、历史和经济学。1925年,他对苏俄进行实地考察,在《欧游漫录·西伯利亚游记》中留下生动翔实的记录和富有洞见的前瞻性思考。[1]-[3]

商昌宝是毕业于南开大学的文学博士,独立文史学者,现居多伦多,为出版策划人。他的学术研究集中在现代中国文学史、思想史,出版有专著《作家检讨与文学转型》、
《茅盾先生晚年》,曾在《二十一世纪》(香港中文大学)、《争鸣》(香港)、《领导者》(香港)、《文化中国》(加拿大)、《炎黄春秋》、《中国现代文学研究丛
刊》、《文艺争鸣》、《江淮文史》、《文化研究》、《文学自由谈》等杂志发表学术论文和学术随笔130余篇,策划、主编了《中国新文学史》大系、《左翼批评大
系》、《梁遇春全集》、“小说眼·看中国”等丛书,参与编写《鲁迅大全集》以及多部《中国现代文学史》等现代文学史教材。曾先后受逻辑思维·又一课、明
白APP·约书呀、粉笔网·公开课等十余家媒体、大学、书店邀请,开设讲座。

学东西俱乐部非常高兴邀请到商老师来为我们解析《再别康桥》中隐藏的秘密,看他怎样运用对文学和历史的考证,还原一个立体的徐志摩、他在这首诗中表达的深层情感
以及当时所处的现实。欢迎您来和老师互动,和我们一起学习、交流,共享文学与逻辑之美!

时间: 2020年9月18号周五晚上8:00到9:30。(加东时间)

使用語言:中文普通話

免费公益Zoom视频讲座,限额100人。会议厅将在讲座开始前15分钟开放。届时请点击如下链接直接进入:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87134664583
Meeting ID: 871 3466 4583

如有问题需查询,请致电: ericliujt@gmail.com <mailto:ericliujt@gmail.com> .谢谢!

One thought on “EAWLC Poetry Series: Decoding ‘Second Farewell to Cambridge’”

  1. 再别康桥 1928
    作者:徐志摩。

    轻轻的我走了,
    正如我轻轻的来;
    我轻轻的招手,
    作别西天的云彩。

      那河畔的金柳,
    是夕阳中的新娘;
    波光里的艳影,
    在我的心头荡漾。

      软泥上的青荇,
    油油的在水底招摇;
    在康河的柔波里,
    我甘心做一条水草!

      那榆荫下的一潭,
    不是清泉,是天上虹;
    揉碎在浮藻间,
    沉淀着彩虹似的梦。

      寻梦?撑一支长篙,
    向青草更青处漫溯;
    满载一船星辉,
    在星辉斑斓里放歌。

      但我不能放歌,
    悄悄是别离的笙箫;
    夏虫也为我沉默,
    沉默是今晚的康桥!

      悄悄的我走了,
    正如我悄悄的来;
    我挥一挥衣袖,
    不带走一片云彩

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