Reflections on Masterpieces of Classical Prose: Yu Dafu—The Autumn of the Ancient Capital

Author: Fu Dafu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Classics are the treasures left behind by time, portraits and annotations of human nature. The significance of classics lies in their freshness with repeated readings, remaining an unchanging landscape on the bookshelves of readers no matter how time flows. In the ever-changing space and time, in the irreversible process of life, classics are the words, sounds, and expressions that have conquered time. Those sincere statements, those fearless cries, those reflections on the human spirit, awaken our past hopes, inspire our current courage, and free us from emptiness, vanity, and doubt about the future. These figures of wisdom and their timeless words purify our souls, shake our spirits, teaching us what can be missed but not erased, and what is fleeting yet invaluable. Indeed, every era should have its own literature. But classic literature belongs not only to its own time but also to later generations of readers who can appreciate and share an artistic connection with it. Tracing the footsteps of modern Chinese prose in the 20th century, whether it's the early "Yusi Faction," the "Lunyu Faction," Bingxin's prose praising maternal love, Xu Zhimo's "Wild Horse Running" prose, or the prose of Yang Shuo, Qin Mu, and Liu Baiyu, once hailed as new classics, or even Yu Guangzhong on the other side of the strait who aimed to "cut off the (braid)" of prose, or the recent "grand cultural prose" and "little woman prose," they are united at least in one point: "I write with my own hand, I speak with my own mouth." Regardless of the style, whether it's the rigid critique of current politics leaning towards (zawen), the soft and melodramatic prose without genuine sorrow, or the mournful and tearful prose triggered by scenery, prose, to some extent, can serve as a sanctuary for the soul or a refuge for the spirit. Art is independent, and prose must be personal. Dafu was a great patriot, and patriotism was the spiritual pillar of his life. He was known for his lack of petty concerns, but when it came to major principles, he was unyielding to death. In the 1920s and 1930s, he was closely associated with Zhou Zuoren, and Zhang Zhiping was also an initiator of the Creation Society. However, when he learned that Zhou and Zhang had surrendered to the enemy, his stance was resolute. He was upright, innocent, but also stubborn, willful, unworldly, and ignorant of power politics. He had a deep passion for love, for close friends, and especially for his homeland. Passionate love is the highest form of love, and the word " (zhi)" carries no negative connotation. The line " (jué dài fēngliú jué dài zhi)" is particularly fitting for Dafu. "The Autumn of the Old Capital" expresses his boundless yearning and attachment to the autumn scenery of the northern region. The five scenes deliberately depicted in the text are not clearly related in time or space but are equally comparable. Narrative, description, lyricism, and argumentation alternate throughout. On the surface, they seem unrelated, yet they are cleverly connected, enhancing the emotional depth of the author's longing for the old capital's autumn and expressing the scenery, mood, and essence of autumn in a profound and thorough manner. It reflects the author's dedication to autumn but also his love for life.