Listening for Thingness: Representing Sound in Chinese Literary Tradition

ABSTRACT There is an intuitive tradition of “looking for thingness” in both Chinese and Western cultures. Yet, in China, it is perhaps more appropriate to supersede this with “listening for thingness.” In ancient Chinese culture and literature, the interaction among myriad things—humans and nonhumans included—is often perceived as taking place at the level of “listening.” “Listening” does not merely refer to a perceptive sense but is often described as a way to reach the depths of reality. “Listening for thingness” takes multiple forms in Chinese literary tradition. One important form is the representation of sound inaccessible to human ears (listening to nothingness). This form is often used in ancient Chinese poetry and narrative to reveal the vastness of the natural world, where humans and nonhumans are entangled. Another form represents sound that goes without a human listener (listening without us), highlighting a self-sufficient nature. A third form is the representation of sound that does not enter the listener’s consciousness (listening without hearing), freeing the listener from sound’s restrictive signification. This article fosters a cross-cultural dialogue in literature.