Yangtian Kanyan

**Yangtian Kanyan** (阳添坎岩; *yángtiān kǎnyán*) (3 November 1885 - 27 January 1942) was a poet and writer of *qiegua* verse who was active during the 19th century. He is regarded as one of the most popular and important poets in modern Kantonese literature.

## Early life

Kanyan was born in the town of Kundao, Ji Prefecture, to a working-class family. His father was a rice farmer and his mother worked in a local inn as a cleaner. He attended the English literature department of Kunnei University, but left soon after without graduating. As a student he became interested in medieval poetry, and made many attempts to revive the medieval style in his early works.

## Literary career

In 1904, Kanyan moved to the city of Hongkai in Xingsu Prefecture and began submitting his poetry to various literary magazines. He managed to publish numerous poems in the famous magazine *Lai Xing* that brought him attention as a rising young poet, and served as his introduction to a wide circle of writers and poets. From these contacts, Kanyan formed his own literary group, which was innovative in including painters, musicians and actors along with writers.

In 1909, he became one of the founding members of the literary magazine, *Gao Miao,* where he published his first collection of verses, *Zhiyushou* (知余手, Heretic) which took the poetic world by storm. Through his use of rich imagery and innovative structure, the verses are credited by critics as having set a new baseline for modern Kantonese poetry. Kanyan's initial success was followed by *Menglai* (Memories, 1912), in which he evokes memories of the world from a child's prospective.

In 1918, Kanyan was arrested for adultery and jailed for two weeks. Though charges were later dropped, the experience obviously had a deep impact on him, as this event was mentioned briefly in his first poetry anthology, *Yanglei She* (Sage Blossoms, 1919) as having led to a religious influence in his outlook on life. This became more evident in his second anthology, *Pi Zu* (Selection of Pearls, 1920), and his third, *Jin Yan* (Layers of Gold, 1926). He strove for what he called 'true peace' or 'pure peace', a concept he borrowed from pacifist Qiren teachings. This concept is highlighted in his later works, *Suibazi* (Ink Drawings, 1923) and *Maka En* (Sparrow Eggs, 1925).

## Children's verse

In 1920, Kanyan joined the *Zhuo Ka* (Red Bird) literary magazine and was assigned to create children's verse (*qiegua*) and collect nursery rhymes from around the country. The same year, he relocated from Hongkai to Linyang in Ji Prefecture.

In 1921, Kanyan published *Ting de Yan* (Dragonfly Eyes), a collection of *qiegua* poems that had been previously published serially in *Zhuo Ka*. In 1921 *Yo Ma* (Mother Goose), a collection of English poems translated to Kantonese, came out, and in the same year *Dang Sun Xin* (Letters From A Hare), a collection of nursery rhymes, was published. In 1927 Kanyan published a collection of essays on children's folk songs, *Gan de Yan* (Fields of Green).

## Later life

Always enjoying travel, Kanyan visited a great number of developing towns and cities across Kanton, though he felt particularly drawn to the west coast, his homeland, and would often spend winters in his home prefecture of Ji.

Kanyan moved back to Hongkai in 1926, living at first in the southern ward, then moving to a residence near Hongkai Harbour in 1928. While living there he published his fifth anthology, *Hongkai de Mobai* (红凯的陌败) or Strange Tales from Hongkai, which is a humorous and mostly caricature depiction of the residents of the city. Despite forays into comic writing, however, Kanyan continued to be inspired by classical Kantonese literature, as seen in *Jihai he Gadu* (Open Seas and Great Clouds, 1929)

In 1935, Kanyan was diagnosed with diabetes, though remained active even after almost going blind due to associated complications. In 1940, he went on a tour of Zhong Prefecture, which was then the most prosperous and fast-developing of the country, and published his last poem, the patriotic *Shijiu Gatuo* (Our Great Nation). In 1942, his health worsened significantly, and he died of complications from diabetes on 27th January. His grave is located in Gagua Graveyard on the outskirts of Hongkai, a *mu-qian* which is dedicated to deceased writers and poets.

## Legacy

Kanyan published a total of over 200 poems within his lifetime. He wrote advanced study material for various universities around the country, numerous essays and books, and even composed music. Many of his poems remain popular to this day, and are studied in high schools.

An annual festival celebrating the life and works of Yangtian Kanyan is still held in his birthplace of Kundao in eastern Ji Prefecture during the month of November. Stages are set up along the canals of the city, and at night, by firelight, fans of Kanyan's work will read poems and stories aloud. There are also lantern parades and musical performances.