Red candle, dead water: Classic Library

Author: Wen Yiduo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The Red Candle was first published in early September 1923 by Taodong Book Company and is a collection of poems by Wen Yiduo. Many of the poems were written during his time studying abroad, and some exhibit a tendency toward aestheticism. For example, Color expresses admiration for the "color" that transcends everything, while The Sword Case conveys the sorrow of the disillusionment with artistic dreams. However, the dominant spirit throughout the collection is the pursuit of truth by a passionate young man, his deep love for his homeland, and his critique of the dark world. The "red candle" itself symbolizes his fervent love for his country and his wish for its rebirth. A series of poems such as The Solitary Goose, Ode to the Sun, and In Memory of Chrysanthemums reveal the poet's pure and heartfelt devotion. In form, The Red Candle is a free verse style, close to the romanticism and temperament of Guo Moruo's Goddess. Dead Water, published in January 1928, is Wen Yiduo's second collection of poems. The poems in Dead Water were mostly written after he returned to his homeland. The strong contrast between his fervent expectations for his country while abroad and the reality he encountered upon returning created a profound emotional conflict. This immense disparity led the poet to express strong dissatisfaction with society, as seen in poems like Discovery and Dead Water. Additionally, the collection Dead Water fully embodies Wen Yiduo's integration of color and emotional tone in poetry, highlighting the poetic essence through meticulous composition and intensifying the power of the poems with vivid contrasts. However, an excessive pursuit of metrical refinement also affected the spontaneity and depth of some of his poems.