Xu Zhimo - Farewell to Constance

Author: Yu Dafu, Xu Zhimo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: The flourishing of modern Chinese literature in the 20th century produced numerous talents. In fiction, Lu Xun was revered as the undisputed master; in prose, Zhou Zuoren stood as a generation's master; and in modern poetry, Xu Zhimo was an indispensable figure. Even if Xu Zhimo did not hold the helm of modern poetry, he was undoubtedly one of the few outstanding representatives. It is quite apt to say that Xu Zhimo embodied a spirit—one of personal independence and freedom from restraint—as he himself declared: "I am confident that I have something different from others. I have never surrendered to this world; I am not bound by it." This self-awareness, depth, and seriousness of being different, refusing to surrender, and remaining unbound were not only reflected in his perception of society and life, his pursuit of love and marriage, but also in his poetic and prose creations. Xu Zhimo's successful works, such as "Goodbye,," "Accident," "Shanyangnala," and "Sea Rhythm," are undoubtedly modern poetry masterpieces defined by form, rhythm, and artistic realm, making them widely celebrated and still beloved today. Xu Zhimo's unique style and emotional depth in his modern poetry are utterly captivating.
Born in Haining, Zhejiang in 1895, Xu Zhimo's given name was Zhang Xu, and he once used the pen names Nanhu and Yunzhonghe. He studied at Hangzhou No. 1 High School and later attended universities such as Shanghai University and Peking University. In 1918, he went to the United States, and in 1921, he traveled to Britain. That same year, he began writing modern poetry. After returning to China, he published a vast amount of poetry and prose. In 1923, he co-founded the Crescent Society. In 1926, he initiated the movement to standardize the form of modern poetry alongside Wen Yiduo, Zhu Xiang, and others, profoundly influencing the development of modern poetry.
Xu Zhimo, our modern poet of the new era, was an idealist who firmly believed that a life of ideals must include love, freedom, and beauty. He was a tragic hero, a failure in the grand sense, yet one filled with drama. His pursuit made us ashamed, for our own faith was too small, and we had never dared to dream of his dreams. His failure made us respect and sympathize with him, for in the vast world, only he possessed such faith, risking immense danger, enduring countless troubles, sacrificing all ordinary comforts to pursue and test the sacred realm of a dream.
A world of poetry without Xu Zhimo would be lonely. Xu Zhimo—his conversations were poetry, his actions were poetry, and his entire life was poetry. On November 19, 1931, he perished in a plane crash from Nanjing to Beijing, when his aircraft encountered dense fog near Jinan.