ABSTRACT
In classical Chinese poetry, nature is a place of philosophical revelation. Modern authors perpetuate this tradition of landscape poetry while simultaneously introducing new elements to it. Some of these modern literary, scientific, or ideological modifications are less concerned with aesthetics and much more with the didactic message of a poem. This chapter investigates selected poems by Ma Junwu (1881–1940), an author with a background in chemistry and metallurgy whose work is representative of the hybrid nature of modern Chinese culture: the poetry in classical form that he composed at different times in his life offers an example of a blend between scientific, mythological representations and renewed lyricism.
