The talented Guo Moruo

Author: Xing Xiaoqun
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 to literary enthusiasts. However, comparing and analyzing them holds greater significance. The "Literary Three Swords" series aims to revisit these three "swords" through comparison and analysis. Guo Moruo, born in 1892, was the earliest to gain fame and had the highest starting point among the three. His Nüshen (Goddesses) is a monumental work 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 from later generations. Author Xing Xiaoqun focuses on analyzing in his biography how Guo Moruo moved to the forefront of the cultural front, how he became involved in politics, and the later works and personality of the poet. Especially his poems from the Cultural Revolution period, which are not included in his collected works but are frequently cited in The Talented Guo Moruo, providing readers with valuable insights.