Chapter 42 Section 4 Conscious commitment to the destiny of the nation: "One Generation" "The night gave me black eyes, but I used them to find light."

Gu Cheng's short poem written in 1979 is only two short lines in total, and it uses a set of simple images to constitute a metaphor for the years of the Cultural Revolution that just passed. The meanings of "night", "brightness" and my "seeking" here are all self-evident, and similar image combinations are often seen in other "misty poetry" works; for example, Jiang He's "Star Variations": "If the earth Every corner of the world is full of light / who needs the stars who will / stare at night / looking for distant comfort", such as Gu Cheng's other poem "I am a wayward child": "I want to be on the earth / Paint the windows all over / Make all eyes used to darkness / Get used to light”. The imagery in "One Generation" 11 is more simple and natural, clearly expressing the strong feelings and wishes in the poet's heart.

The rise of "Misty Poetry" has been accompanied by the gradual recovery of the rationality and introspection of the whole society. Personal emotional expression is often the emotional projection of the whole society. How should we face the trauma left by the dark age and how can we change our personal and The fate of the nation is a question that has shrouded all poets.Gu Cheng, who has always been known as a "fairy tale poet", although he has been intoxicated in his dreamy "Life Fantasia" far away from the hustle and bustle, has also begun to explore the problems of the times. This song "A Generation" is the most direct answer.In fact, it can also be regarded as the epitome of the "spiritual history" of a generation: the generation represented by Gu Cheng and other "misty poets" all grew up during the Cultural Revolution, and spiritual maturity includes bearing suffering, or It is through constant injury that they experience growth, but suffering gives them transcendent beliefs and ideals, making them always try to find light through the darkness of the times, and always try to overcome suffering in spiritual yearning and pursuit.This type of expression can be traced back to the creation of the index finger in the early period of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, such as the famous song "Believe in the Future": "When the cobwebs ruthlessly sealed up my stove, /When the lingering smoke of ashes sighed the sorrow of poverty , / I still stubbornly pave the ashes of disappointment, / Write down with beautiful snowflakes: Believe in the future!" The ideals and beliefs that have gone through hardships lead to the self-awareness of individuality, leading to a strong and unyielding independent will and spirit of resistance. "One Generation" and "Misty Poetry" give people the overall impression, which is also the radical side of literature in the late 1970s.The meaning turning point between the only two lines in this poem undoubtedly reflects the same spiritual orientation as Bei Dao: "Tell you, the world, / I-don't-believe!/ Even if there are a thousand challengers under your feet, / Then count me as the thousand and one." Facing the "dark night" without compromise, consciously taking on the destiny of the nation, accompanied by personal idealism, It can be said that this is the answer of Bei Dao, Gu Cheng and their "generation" to the suffering and the dark age that is about to pass.

Notes: 1 See Chen Sihe: "Folk Restoration: An Explanation of a Certain Trend in Literary History after the Cultural Revolution", "Included in Chen Sihe's Selected Works", Guangxi Normal University Press, 1997 edition, p. 227. 2 The central idea advocated by the "everything faction" is expressed in two sentences: "We will firmly support all the decisions made by Chairman Mao; we will unswervingly follow all the instructions of Chairman Mao." This is the famous "two "Everything" was first seen in writing in the editorial "Learn Documents and Grasp the Guidelines" published on February 7, 1977 in "People's Daily", "Liberation Army Daily" and "Red Flag" magazines.

3 Lu Xun: "On Opening the Eyes", included in the first volume of "The Complete Works of Lu Xun", People's Literature Publishing House, 1982 edition, p. 241. 4 See Chen Sihe's "The Circular Trajectory of the Development of New Chinese Literature", included in "The Overall View of Chinese New Literature", Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House, 1987 edition, p. 45. 5 At that time, there were three theoretical articles supporting "obscure poetry" called "three rises": Xie Mian's "Facing the New Rise", Sun Shaozhen's "New Aesthetic Principles Are Rising", Xu Jingya's "Rising Poetry Group ".

6 See "<Today> Editorial Department Activities Chronicle", included in "The Sinking Temple" edited by Liao Yiwu, Xinjiang Youth Publishing House, 1999 edition, p. 438. 7 Its name comes only from a critical article, namely, "Depressing "Hazy"" published by Zhang Ming in "Poetry Magazine" in August 1980. The article refers to some new poems with poetic "Hazy" . 8 "Following Thoughts" was originally published by the People's Literature Publishing House in June 1980, and the first volume was published in December 1986. September 1987, live.read.Xinzhi Sanlian Publishing Co., Ltd. published bound volumes.The discussion in this section also refers to [Korea] Li Xiqing's paper "The Restoration Process of the Writer's Self-image Shown in Caprice".

9 Yang Binhua: "Footsteps on the Roof.Postscript", Changjiang Literature and Art Publishing House, 1992 edition. 10 "Death", first published in "Shanghai Literature" No. 9, 1986. 11 "One Generation" income, Shanghai Joint Publishing, 1995 edition, p. 121.