Preface to the Debut Issue

       The invention of the internet has facilitated instant online posting. This has catalyzed the revival of poetry writing, which has furthermore revitalized the rapid emergence of poetry magazines. As a contrast, however, overseas Chinese overall are still dormant to this new burgeoning, although there is no lack of poets among them. Therefore, it’s a demand of time for them to set up a platform of their own to publish their poems. Hence this poetry journal. 

       Poetry Hall is a none-profitable journal that aims at providing a platform for all Chinese, especially for all overseas Chinese, to publish their well or excellently written poems; Poetry Hall is a Chinese and English bilingual journal that aims at introducing well or excellently written Chinese poetry, in both Chinese and English, to the Chinese language world and to the English language world. Our criterion for selecting contribution is quality; our specialty is bilingual, using both Chinese and English to publish poems. Our philosophy is: Poetry is the voice from the heart. Therefore, we advocate poetry that comes from the bottom of poets’ hearts, that is rich in substance, and that conjures up vivid images and suggests cherished artistic conception.

       China has a long history of poetry writing. It has been about two thousand five hundred years since its first poetry book The Book of Songs came out. During this period, just like stars never stay still, the Chinese poetic forms have undergone some changes, from the free tonal-patterned classical poetry, to the strictly tonal-patterned classical poetry, and finally to the modern-Chinese-language-engendered modern poetry. To present multifaceted perspectives of Chinese poetic culture, Poetry Hall accepts the contribution of all well and excellently written poems that are fresh in language and active in content, regardless of their forms and genres, with the focus on newly written modern or contemporary Chinese poems, along with newly created free tonal-patterned and strictly tonal-patterned classical poems.

                              Plum blossoms emit scent in cold weather;

                              A sword sharpened through repeated stoning.

                            A good wording conjures up wind and rain,

                            A great poem moves gods and immortals.

       Let’s translate into practice these ancient Chinese poetic maxims and strive together, to make the journal worthy its name.

                                                                                     Poetry Hall, September 1, 2018