This is an oddly superficial treatment from the SCMP of a potentially interesting story.
I would like to know who Mr. Lei’s favorite poets are; whether this delivery-man is familiar with Iron Moon, and what he thinks of it; whether his manner of expressing himself has been influenced by all the poetry he has absorbed; and whether his love of poetry owes anything to the influence of a particular teacher who crossed his path during his (presumably brief) schooling.
When he recites poetry, is it with feeling and apparent understanding (as I surmise), or has he merely found a picturesque way to work out an obsessive-compulsive disorder?
I’d also like to know why the fellow with all the academic literary credentials could not match Mr. Lei’s mastery. Is it because over the last couple of decades, the study of literature in China has emphasized theoretical discussion of texts to the neglect of actual familiarity with them?
A. E. Clark <aec@raggedbanner.com>