On September 18, 2024, the Tenth session of “Leading Lecture Series on Frontier Studies” of Zijingang Global Forum on Interdisciplinary Studies 2024, organized by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies of World Literature of Zhejiang University, was held successfully on Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University. Dominic Hand, a poet and DPhil Candidate on contemporary poetry at Merton College, University of Oxford, delivered a lecture entitled “English Language Poetry in the Anthropocene”. The lecture, moderated by Professor YANG Gexin, director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies of World Literature, attracted undergraduates, postgraduates, and doctoral candidates from the School of International Studies.
During the lecture, Dr. Hand introduced the concept of ‘Anthropocene’, a geological term designating our current geological epoch, wherein human activities impact the Earth’s ecosystems significantly. He discussed the importance of problematizing and furthering the trajectories of ‘ecopoetics’ at the intersection of ecocriticism and posthumanist critique in interpreting the representation of technology and ecological issues in the poetry at the turn of 20th and 21st centuries. By citing the works of J. H. Prynne and Will Alexander, Dr. Hand highlighted that both poets showed great concern for modern issues, the former on the coexistence of humanity and the environment, the latter on colonialism and racial dilemmas. They both provide samples of the possibilities of integrating art and technology with their works. Dr. Hand urged poets to go beyond the boundaries of traditional language expressions and unleash the potential of literary art in the contemporary and future world. He concluded by stressing the need for contemporary poets and scholars to deliberate on the ethical implications and values of poetry in the Anthropocene, and to explore how art and technology can intersect to offer fresh insights into the pressing issues.
During the Q&A Session, Professor YANG Gexin noted that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence has prompted a new understanding of language generation and poetry creation. He discussed how the impact of AI creation presents both opportunities and challenges for contemporary poets to innovate beyond conventional poetic theory and revitalize poetic language.
The lecture is supported by the “Zhejiang Mobile Humanities and Social Sciences Fund” and the major project of the National Social Science Fund “Collation, Translation and Research of Contemporary Western Ethical Criticism Literature” [Project No. 19ZDA292].
“Zijingang Global Forum on Interdisciplinary Studies”, named after Zijingang Campus, the main campus of Zhejiang University, aims to provide an interdisciplinary platform for scholars engaged in humanities at home and abroad, especially those who are devoted to literary studies, to facilitate theoretical advancement, methodological innovation, intellectual promotion, and information exchange. As a foundational part of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies of World Literature, “Zijingang Global Forum on Interdisciplinary Studies” launches a series of academic activities and keeps its participants informed about current scholarship in the field. To be more specific, it consists of four major forums: “Leading Lecture Series on Frontier Studies”, “Leading Publication of Academic Achievements”, “Leading Forum on Interdisciplinary Studies for Young Scholars”, and “Leading Forum for University Students”.
Photos/Text: ZHANG Yixi
Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies of World Literature, Zhejiang University
September 19, 2024
Translated by XIAO Ran, Proofread by XU Xueying
