Poet Mao Zedong

Author: Tetsuro Watanabe and others, Shotaro Takeuchi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1997-01-01
Features: With the victory of the Chinese Revolution and the development of socialist construction, Mao Zedong Thought has exerted a wide influence worldwide. Many scholars abroad have conducted extensive research on Mao Zedong Thought from their respective standpoints, perspectives, and methodologies, publishing thousands of works. To help domestic scholars understand the status and dynamics of foreign research on Mao Zedong Thought, to promote the study of Mao Zedong Thought to new depths and breadth, and to articulate the scientific system of Mao Zedong Thought in targeted foreign publicity, we decided to compile Selected Materials on the Study of Mao Zedong Thought Abroad for internal reference among relevant researchers. This series is published in book form, primarily selecting materials of academic reference value. It mainly provides original sources, including monographs as well as collections of essays, with both fully translated and abridged versions. The format varies according to the selected content, without strict uniformity. The compilers have only made necessary editing and annotations. Selected Materials on the Study of Mao Zedong Thought Abroad strives to objectively and systematically reflect representative views from abroad over the years and hopes to serve as a tool for broadening theoretical horizons, expanding thinking space, and promoting academic exchange.
The Poet Mao Zedong, written by Shotaro Takeuchi and edited by Tetsuro Watanabe, has the following characteristics: First, it focuses on studying the poet Mao Zedong's biography against the backdrop of the history of the Chinese Revolution, the history of the Communist Party of China, and Mao Zedong's revolutionary activities. The authors argue that without understanding the context behind each of Mao's poems, one cannot truly appreciate them. The purpose of narrating history and personal biographies is to help readers comprehend Mao's poetry. Therefore, the authors strove to make the book as detailed as possible to appeal to Japanese readers, especially young ones, and to make it a biography of the poet Mao Zedong that readers can understand and feel connected to without needing additional reference materials. The structure of the poetry appreciation section is also cleverly designed, including analysis, annotations, and summaries of the poems. Second, it offers insightful analyses and discussions of Mao's poetry in the context of Chinese poetic history. The authors believe that Mao's Ci poetry inherited the grand style and bold emotions of the bold school but shared fundamental similarities with the gentle school in essence. It can be said that Mao drew nourishment from the outstanding strengths of both schools, refining his works to a higher level of poetic expression. This perspective of the authors is indeed insightful. To help readers better understand Mao's poetry, the authors have put considerable effort into the annotations. The annotations provide relatively clear and accurate explanations of the poems word by word, often citing classical references and weaving in thought-provoking stories. Third, it cites rich and detailed historical materials. The authors have utilized a vast amount of information when narrating the historical background, Mao's revolutionary activities, and providing annotations for the poems.