The Reincarnation of Amaryllis

Abstract Upon his arrival in Gansu Province in 1939, Tang Qi 唐祈 (1920–1990) composed a suite of sonnets that vividly depicted the previously unseen frontier landscapes. In these sonnets, the figure of a shepherdess emerges with a melancholic aura, capturing the reader's attention. Her portrayal garners both acclaim and curiosity, particularly concerning her origins. This article aims to explore the roots of this shepherdess imagery, leading to a reevaluation of a seemingly established tradition in Chinese poetry. The shepherdess, often perceived as a solidified poetic image, is revealed to be a more contemporary creation, emerging after pastoral and biblical archetypes of the shepherdess were introduced to China in the late Qing and modern periods. Prior to Tang Qi, the image had already been shaped and transformed by intellectuals. Therefore, when Tang Qi encountered this motif, he was positioned to draw on a localized adaptation for his literary work, rather than relying exclusively on the Western iteration. This exemplifies the manner in which new Chinese poetry has assimilated into global poetic movements. Additionally, situated on the margins both geographically and literarily, this poem presents an alternate perspective for reexamining the practical issues in modern China related to the imagined community of multiple ethnicities.