Appreciation of Mao Zedong's Poetry

Author: Wu Gongzheng (Editor) / Country:
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-06-01
Features: The second stanza depicts the prelude to the counteroffensive against the second large-scale "encirclement," foreshadowing a victorious. "Two hundred thousand troops heavily entered Jiangxi, with rolling smoke and dust coming halfway to the sky," the enemy, unwilling to accept their defeat, gathered double the number of 200,000 troops to make a comeback. The word "heavy" echoes the complete destruction of the second large-scale "encirclement," implying their resurgence. "Rolling smoke and dust" describe the enemy's arrogance and defiance along the way, with their teeth bared and claws outstretched. "Coming halfway to the sky" is an artistic exaggeration, creating a sense of "dark clouds pressing down on the city, the city on the verge of collapse." Faced with the overwhelming force of the enemy advancing towards us, how should we respond? A suspense directly leads to the following lines, introducing a resolute conclusion: "Awaken the peasants and workers in their millions, unite and fight, the red flags will be in chaos at the foot of Buzhou Mountain." The enemy's fierceness can only stir the hatred of the broad masses of the people. The enemy's advance serves to mobilize millions of peasants and workers to fight against them. They will undoubtedly unite to rise up in counterattack. Based on ancient mythological legends, the poets an artistic image of Gonggong, a rebel, to symbolize the millions of peasants and workers determined to change the world. In the past, Gonggong furiously struck the "Buzhou Mountain," overturning the heavens and earth of the ruling class. Today, the masses of peasants and workers raise the banner of "rebellion is justified" against the reactionaries, and will surely overthrow the "three great mountains" pressing upon them. The line "Awaken the peasants and workers in their millions" echoes "Two hundred thousand troops heavily entered Jiangxi," and the contrast between the two reveals the strength of the revolutionary forces. "The red flags will be in chaos at the foot of Buzhou Mountain" further depicts the turmoil of red flags amidst the oppressive rule of the reactionaries, with revolutionary waves rising and falling. The victory of the people's cause is within reach! The entire poem is filled with revolutionary optimism, combining the victory of the counteroffensive against the second large-scale "encirclement" with the prelude to the next one. The Battle of Longgang is described through the connection of two scenes, omitting the specific details of the battle, leaving ample room for readers' imagination. The use of colloquial language in the poem, while adhering to the norms of traditional Chinese poetry, sets a new in the application of mythological allusions. (Yu Binglong)
Fisherman's Admiration Against the Second Large-Scale "Encirclement"①
Summer of 1931, the clouds at Baiyun Mountain stand tall②,
An urgent call echoes from the foot of Baiyun Mountain,
Withered trees and rotten branches all strive③.
Shooting forest surrounds, the flying general enters from the heavens above④.
In fifteen days, seven hundred miles were driven through⑤,
The Gan River is vast, the Min Mountains are green⑥,
Sweeping thousands of troops like rolling mats⑦.
Some weep, sighing at every step⑧!
[Notes]
① Against the Second Large-Scale "Encirclement": Refers to the battle in mid-to-late May 1931 where the Central Revolutionary Base Area resisted the second large-scale military offensive by the Nationalist forces. In early April of that year, the Nationalist "encirclement" army of 200,000 began advancing from Ji'an in Jiangxi to Jianning in Fujian along an arc of about 800 miles, employing the tactic of "steadily advancing, camp by camp," dividing into four routes to tighten the encirclement and advance towards the of the Red Army in Ningdu. During this period, after multiple discussions, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in the Soviet region finally agreed with Mao Zedong's correct proposal, rejecting the erroneous opinions of "retreating by dividing forces" and withdrawing from the Central Soviet Region. They reaffirmed the strategic principle of "luring the enemy deep" and decided to concentrate superior forces to first attack the weaker enemy force of Wang Jinyu in Ji'an and Futian, then move west to east to eliminate the enemy one by one, and crush the second "encirclement" by the Nationalist forces. In late April, the main force of the Red Army, numbering over 30,000, advanced into the eastern part of Gu'an County in the front of the base area, occupying the enemy. On May 15th, Wang Jinyu's force finally left its assembly point and advanced towards Donggu. The main force of the Red Army then divided into left, middle, and right routes, moving to designated positions to hide and await the enemy. On May 16th, the Red Army launched a sudden attack on the moving 28th and 47th divisions of the enemy. The battles in Donggu and Futian achieved the first victory, killing over 7,000 enemy soldiers and capturing over 6,000 rifles. After the victory, the Red Army immediately swept eastward, defeating Guohuazong, Sun Lianzhong, Zhu Shaoliang, and Liu Hedeng. Later, Mao Zedong happily summarized: "In fifteen days (from May 16th to June 1st, 1931), covering seven hundred miles, fighting five battles, capturing over 20,000 rifles, we thoroughly defeated the 'encirclement.'" (Strategic Problems in the Chinese Revolution) This poem was first published in the May 1962 issue of People's Literature.
② Baiyun Mountain: Located in the southeastern part of Ji'an County, Jiangxi, 17 miles southwest of Donggu Town, its main peak lies at the intersection of Ji'an, Taihe, and Xingguo counties, with an altitude of 912 meters. On the morning of May 15th, the Third Red Army was ordered to occupy this mountain, serving as the location where Mao Zedong and Zhu De directed the battles during this "encirclement." Clouds standing tall: Summer clouds accumulate on the mountain top, as if people are standing up.
③ Withered trees and rotten branches: Dry and decayed trees. In Records of the Grand Historian·Zou Yang's Biography, it is said, "If someone speaks first, then the achievement will be planted on withered trees and rotten branches and never forgotten." The poem creatively uses this phrase to praise the vigorous fighting spirit of all the soldiers and civilians participating in the battle. Here, it cannot be interpreted as "corrupt and evil enemies," as "strive" is a positive word.
④ Shooting forest: like a forest of guns. Surrounds: Approaches, gets close. Flying general: An ancient term praising brave and clever warriors. In Records of the Grand Historian·Liang Jiang's Biography, it is said, "Liang (Liang Guang) resided in Youbeiping, and the Xiongnu heard of it and called him 'the Flying General of the Han Dynasty.'" The poem uses this metaphor to describe the Red Army's stealthy and rapid actions. Heavy heavens: Refers to the nine layers of heaven, meaning the highest part of the sky in ancient legends. Here, it describes the Red Army attacking from a high vantage point, suddenly striking the enemy. In Records of the Grand Historian·Zhou Bo's Biography, it is said, "Martial affairs are most secretive. Why not go right to the arsenal, beat the drum, and the feudal lords will think the general has descended from the heavens."
⑤ Driven: Long drive, unstoppable. Gan River: The main river in Jiangxi, flowing from south to north through the province and into Boyang Lake. Vast: Distant and misty, boundless. Min Mountains: Here refers to the Wuyi Mountains in Jianning County, Fujian. Rolling mats: Sweeping like rolling mats, describing the swift and complete destruction of the enemy.
⑥ Cry: Suppressing the sound of crying. For every step: The inverted form of "step by step," referring to's "steadily advancing, camp by camp" tactic during this "encirclement." Sigh: Sigh. In Book of Songs·Zhongfeng·Zhonggu Mountain Has Water Spinach, it is said, "Sipping tears, what can be sighed about!"
After the failure of the second "encirclement," Jiang Jieshi went to Nanchang, cursed his subordinates for their incompetence, and could not help but cry out in pain.
[Appreciation]
In early June 1931, after winning the victory in the counteroffensive against the second large-scale "encirclement," Mao Zedong wrote this poem with great joy, vividly describing the battle and praising the heroic spirit of the soldiers and civilians in defending the revolutionary base and achieving glorious victories. Together with the previous Fisherman's Admiration, it forms a song of praise for the struggle against the "encirclement" in the Central Base Area. The first stanza describes the first battle. The first three lines begin with Mao Zedong's observations and feelings at Baiyun Mountain: "Clouds stand tall at the head of Baiyun Mountain, an urgent call echoes at the foot of Baiyun Mountain, withered trees and rotten branches all strive." The first line sets the scene with a virtual depiction, using artistic exaggeration to the tense atmosphere of war and highlight the fighting spirit of the soldiers and civilians. The second line transitions from sight to sound, depicting the intense battle with the sound of war echoing from the foot of Baiyun Mountain. The third line creatively uses a, transforming the real into the virtual, expressing his feelings and praising the united fighting spirit of the people against the enemy. The three lines of the poem, from Mao Zedong's firsthand experience, employ three layers of, summarizing the battle and indirectly depicting the earth-shaking people's war, expressing Mao Zedong's close connection with the broad masses at the front. The scene and sound complement each other. The next two lines describe a typical battle scene: "Shooting forest surrounds, the flying general enters from the heavens above." These ten characters use two layers of exaggeration, highlighting the heroic image of the Red Army in the midst of the thrilling battle scene. The characters "surrounds" and "enters" are concise and vivid, portraying the bravery, cleverness, and collective spirit of the Red Army, while the enemy's disarray and helplessness are also imaginable. These two lines of the poem truly the posture of the Red Army turning the tide of war, dominating from a high vantage point and unstoppable. Since the poem began, it has used layer upon layer of and outlining, from the battlefield, battle clouds, battle sounds, battle forces, and battle scenes, directly calling out the battle hero—"the flying general." Not only does it vividly bring the scene to life, making it audible and visible, but it also deeply moves the heart, making it singable and tearful! The first battle's victory sets the stage for the victory of the entire campaign.
The second stanza summarizes the overall battle. The first three lines depict the entire campaign: "In fifteen days, covering seven hundred miles, the Gan River is vast, the Min Mountains are green, sweeping thousands of troops like rolling mats." The first line uses an inverted sentence structure to point out the time and distance of the advance after the first battle's victory. The spatial distance of "seven hundred miles" to the time length of "fifteen days" shows the rapid and unstoppable advance. The second line opens with a landscape description, further the scene of the long and arduous journey over the past fifteen days. "Vast Gan River" and "green Min Mountains" are majestic and beautiful, embodying the poet's joy in the victorious advance. The third line uses a swift brushstroke to complement and summarize the preceding two lines, further highlighting the glorious momentum and achievements of the long "drive." These three lines of the poem are forceful and powerful, describing the rapid development of the battle situation, the great victory of the entire campaign, and the characteristics of this battle, praising the spirit of the Red Army in continuous battles and being invincible. The strategic plan of starting from Futian and sweeping eastward was perfectly realized!