The talented Guo Moruo

Author: Xing Xiaozhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Guo Moruo, Wen Yiduo, Xu Zhimo—these are three names long familiar to the Chinese people. Guo Moruo's "talent," Wen Yiduo's "melancholy," and Xu Zhimo's "emotion" are all well-known among literary enthusiasts. However, comparing and analyzing them holds greater significance. The "Literary Three Swords" series aims to revisit these three "swords" through comparison and critique.
Guo Moruo was born in 1892, the earliest to gain fame among the three, with the highest starting point. His Nüshen (Goddesses) is an epic in the history of modern Chinese poetry. However, in his later life, he used poetry as a tool for political statements, leading to a significant decline in artistic quality—a major blunder in the life of this talented poet, leaving his legacy with mixed reviews. Author Xing Xiaozhong focuses on analyzing in his biography how Guo Moruo moved to the forefront of the cultural front, how he entered politics, and the later works and personality of the poet. Especially his poems from the Cultural Revolution era, which are not included in his collected works but are frequently cited in Guo Moruo: The Poet, providing readers with valuable insights.