Speed Reading - Wen Yiduo Volume

Author: Chen Jun (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: On July 15, 1946, after attending the memorial service for Li Gongpu, Wen Yiduo was shot and killed on his way home. "The Death of Wen Yiduo" was, for him, the completion of "poetry"—the completion of poetry as art transforming into poetry as action; for his era, it was a pivotal moment. Whether it was the "nation" he once believed in or the "people" he persistently advocated in the 1940s, both were solidified under the shadow of Wen Yiduo. In the history of modern literature, he was second only to Lu Xun in terms of honor. In fact, for most of his life, he lived as a poet—whether by advancing the trend of regulated verse, immersing himself in the compilation of ancient texts and traditional literature, or even in his intense and vivid political activities, it all revealed a poet, not a scholar or politician. Wen Yiduo's nationalism, his academic research, and his ethical views on the people all stemmed from a poet's perspective. Especially, "The Death of Wen Yiduo" was full of passion and had a touch of the spirit of Chu people. Later, Li Qiuqiu portrayed Wen Yiduo as a highly politicized figure, which was a rather puzzling and unrealistic image. Wen Yiduo was one of the earliest to affirm the important role of the "mysterious element" in poetry and revealed the intrinsic connection between "yinyang" (hidden meaning) and "xing" (inspiration), as well as "xiang" (image), with the "image" and "symbolism" in Western poetry. He strived to find the possibility of "dialogue" between traditional Chinese poetics and Western modern poetics. Moreover, in his poetic practice, he employed the creation of dreams and illusions, images and symbols, and death imagery and atmosphere, bringing a mystical beauty to poetry.