Phantom: Collection of Poems and Translations by Wu Jun Tao

Author: Wu Jun Tao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-11-01
Features: The content of this book is divided into several categories, including "Meditations," "Sonnets," short poems, English poetry translations, as well as poetry essays and appendices. Calculating, in addition to translating seventy-four poems, there are a total of two hundred thirty original poems, including most of my poems written from my youth to my advanced age. Many poems lack a clear writing date because during the "Cultural Revolution," I had to burn my manuscripts to avoid trouble. The author became a "rightist" due to poetry, and the brutality of the "Cultural Revolution" struggle is well-known. Every word and action could be "taken out of context" and labeled as counter-revolutionary. How could I repeat the same mistakes? The translated poems were mostly requested by editors and friends who knew or did not know me, so there was no planned or systematic selection. "Meditations" is a collection of the poet's philosophical aphorisms and the essence of wise sayings. He often contemplates the mysteries of the universe and life, and whenever he gains some insight, he records it in the form of poetry. The thoughts contained in these lines appeal not only to reason but also to emotion.