Mao Zedong's Poetic Reflections

Author: Zheng Guangjin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-06-01
Features: Mao Zedong was a great poet and held a very high position in the history of Chinese poetry and verse publication. He was also a great critic of poetry and verse, and his discussions on poetry and verse were unique in the history of Chinese literary criticism. Yes, Mao Zedong did not write a systematic treatise on poetry, nor did he have a dedicated work on the subject. However, he had a deep love for classical Chinese poetry and verse and had read many classical treatises on poetry. It is documented that he read, handwritten, and quoted as many as 1,662 poems, with many marked for review, some annotated by him, and others commented on in speeches, directives, and letters. Collecting these comments together forms an excellent treatise on poetry, so it can be said that Mao Zedong had a treatise on poetry.