本篇論文以八○年代之前的詩作為例，討論詩與現實的辯證關係。五、六○年代雖一般慣稱為「超現實主義」的時代，但仍有少數值得有關現實的作品。七○年代可為前一代的反制。現實的書寫成為詩的主流。但此時詩中的現實，有「當下此地」的現實與「當時彼岸」的現實。前者是「鄉土詩」的著眼點，後者則是「放逐詩」隔海望鄉的抒懷。前者大都是「本土」作家，後者大都是從大陸輾轉到此的詩人。前者的鄉土書寫經常夾雜抗議與潛在的吶喊，作品成為「目的論」的產物。後者有較高的美學成就，但卻是無視當下周遭生活情境的詩作。能結合當下現實，又能展現美學層次的書寫，是八○年代以後的事。

This paper deals with the interrelationship between poetry and reality in Taiwan earlier poetry. A brief historical survey accompanied with aesthetic discussion covers the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s poetry. The paper dwells much space on the insufficiency of “poetry as teleology” in 70’s “local color” writings. Poems written in this period has tremendous social concern, as a counter-movement of the preceding period. And yet this ethic function is developed often at the expense of aesthetics. The paper also dixusses tow different kinds of realilty among poets. Those of “here and now” and those of “there and then.” The former is what makes a local colorist; the latter is what makes a mainlander who regards himself as an exile in Taiwan. The former has “sincere” concern with the place he lives and yet often reduces his writings to teleological tools; the latter demonstrates aesthetic values and yet in his writings betakes himself to nostalgia for a lost time and space with little emotional or ideological involvement with his present living surroundings in Taiwan.