Chapter 42 The fourth part is gently, Su Xuelin talks about Xu Zhimo's poems

Su Xuelin first talked about the literary situation when Xu Zhimo appeared. Around 1921, the literary world in the north was ruled by Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren, while the "Creation Society" and the "Literary Research Association" confronted each other in the south.The only poet in the north is Bing Xin, while in the south there is Guo Moruo. In 1922 and 1923, a group of overseas students suddenly came back from England, some of them became famous for their literature, and Xu Zhimo was one of them.When he published his poems such as "Farewell to Cambridge" and "Aiman ​​Shufeier" in "Morning News Supplement", "Learning Lantern", and "Novel Monthly", his gorgeous rhetoric, extravagant imagination, and heroism were all in the air. The strange momentum and graceful mood immediately aroused everyone's amazed eyes.Liang Qichao and others appreciated and encouraged him greatly; Zhang Shizhao, who regarded vernacular literature as a scourge, actually called him a "Huiye literati";Xu Zhimo conquered the literary world as soon as he emerged.Therefore, Su Xuelin said that Xu Zhimo's rapid rise to fame in the literary world is not as good as Yahu's in the academic world.

Su Xuelin's article divides Xu Zhimo's creation into form and spirit to prove that "Xu Zhimo once single-handedly laid the foundation of the new poetry circle" is not too much. Regarding the form of Xu Zhimo's poems, Su Xuelin believes that there are the following five points: First, the emphasis on the system.From Hu Shi to Guo Moruo's new poems, there is no definite format.Although Guo Moruo used the Western style as a model for his creation, when he first used the Western poetic style to create, he had the free and unrestrained style of the American poet Whitman, but he was not successful.Although Guo Moruo mainly composed vernacular poems and free poems, he did not make much contribution to the new poetry system.Xu Zhimo knows that without rhythm, poetry loses its essence, so he pays great attention to rhythm in his creation.Yu Gengyu recalled that before the publication of "Poetry Magazine", they gathered together at Wen Yiduo's apartment to discuss, and the common opinion was to make the content and form of poetry express the power of beauty and become a perfect art. After "Poetry Magazine" was released, a poetry reading meeting was held at Xu Zhimo's house every week.The most discussed in the meeting was the form and rhyme of poetry.After the "New Moon" poetry magazine was published, the rhythm of the poems became more rigorous, so Hu Shi wrote "New Poems Are on Track".

Su Xuelin thinks that Xu Zhimo's poems change a lot and quickly.He is trying a poetic format almost every day, so he can't imitate it if he wants to.Feeling this situation, Su Xuelin said: "Others walk with two feet, but he flies with wings." After "Zhimo's Poems" was published, his friend Chen Xiying made the system statistics for him as follows: Prose poetry, free verse, blank poetry, parallel sentence rhyme, chapter rhyme.The poems of the Poetry School are ridiculed as "square poems", but Xu Zhimo can express his genius freely within strict rules, which is beyond the reach of others.

Second, the abundance of rhetoric.When vernacular poetry was just emerging, it tried its best to get rid of the style of old poetry and reject old rhetoric.Hu Shi also said that the real good poetry lies in the line drawing, so he dare not pay much attention to the work of "rendering".But poetry is a kind of beautiful writing, and beauty is not only what can be conveyed by line drawing.A Western writer said that poetry is only composed of "color" and "sound", which is not unreasonable.Liu Xie has a collection of sentimental articles, and said that "summarize the spirit and describe the image", let alone "brilliant collection".Therefore, the situation of line drawing poetry was quickly impacted.Bing Xin's short poems are full of rhetoric, and Guo Moruo's novels are also full of Western words such as heartstrings and baptism.After the appearance of Xu Zhimo, the rhetoric of the poem became even more magnificent.But his rhetoric is neither Chinese nor foreign, but something that has been refined by his mind.Chen Xiying said: "His writing is a special and tortuous tool that melts Chinese writing and Western writing in a big furnace. Sometimes it may be blunt, and sometimes it may be unnatural, but it is never smooth or unnatural. Expressing meaning, there is no time to express that it is Xu Zhimo's unique writing. Coupled with the rich imagery, it is very commensurate with his gorgeous words and sentences, and avoids the flashy problems that are most likely to occur in this kind of writing."

But Chen Xiying also said: "His problem is that he is too unrestrained. In terms of words, sometimes he can't help but pile up too much, and even make readers feel bored." Therefore, "too thick to dissolve" has become the core of Xu Zhimo's poems. features.Xu Zhimo was also dubbed the Aestheticism School and the Six Dynasties style in the new literature.Zhong Rong's poems commented on Xie Lingyun: "It is quite tired of being overgrown." He also said: "If a person is prosperous and talented, and his eyes are like books, there is no lack of thinking inside, and there are no relics outside, he should be prosperous. However, if the name Zhang Jiong's sentences are everywhere, and Li Dian's new voices are coming one after another, such as the plucking of green pines and shrubs, and the reflection of white jade in dust and sand, which is not enough to belittle their nobleness." Su Xuelin feels that these comments are also applicable to Xu Zhimo.However, he also pointed out that Xu Zhimo's subsequent publications of "A Night in Jade Lengcui" and "The Collection of Tigers" have been free from the above-mentioned problems.

Third, the momentum is strong.Guo Moruo's poems can only be called heroes, but not thick, and their strength and courage are not commensurate.Because his works are often flat but without depth.Xu Zhimo's poems are strong and thick, which can be called strong.If the rhetoric is too rich, the momentum is not enough.If the rhetoric is rich and the momentum is sufficient, it can be a good work.Zeng Guofan's diary says: "Large words and big sentences must have the spirit of grandeur and soaring, and drive them into action. All the heavy places will be turned into emptiness, and then it can be a big article. The so-called energy is more than the text, otherwise the energy will not be enough. Take it as a whole." Xu Zhimo's works are worthy of this statement.His prose poems such as "Poison", "Baby", "White Flag", and "Repentance at Tianning Temple", are all powerful and powerful works.Su Xuelin cited a passage in "Baby" as an example, and pointed out that Xu Zhimo described it vividly and vividly, which reflected his real kung fu.Moreover, a prose poem of more than 600 characters has twists and turns, layers, rushes, and setbacks, and it does not feel long and procrastinated when read.It is really like what Han Yu said, "If you are full of energy, you can speak short and long, and it is suitable for both high and low voices."

Fourth, the change of syllables.When Chen Xiying talked about the tone of Xu Zhimo's poems, he said: "There is no research on the tone, because he likes to use more solid characters, double rhyme characters, and tonal characters; use less empty words, plain words, and his poems have more tones. Near Jiegu and burning cymbals are rarely the lingering humor of the violin and the hole flute. His civilian-style poems, especially the vernacular poems, have very pleasant syllables, precisely because in those poems, he had to avoid the above-mentioned That’s not right.” In addition, Su Xuelin believed that Xu Zhimo’s experimentation in syllables was as diligent as his experimentation in system, and also had many changes.His tone changes with the mood of the poem. If the mood is happy, the syllables will be very light; if the mood is sad, the syllables will also appear bleak.For example, in the briskness of the third and fourth syllables of "The Happiness of Snow Flowers", there is a feeling of snowflakes dancing with the wind.Another example is Xu Zhimo in "Shanghai-Hangzhou Cars": "Hurry! Hurry! / A cigarette, a mountain, a few cloud shadows, / A water, a bridge, a sound of oars, / A forest of pine, a Bamboo clusters, red leaves in succession: / The colorful fields, the colorful autumn scenery, / Clear, blurred, and faded like a dream, - / Hurry! Is it the wheel or the time? / Aging the autumn face, urging the old Life!" Hurrying, urging, like the sound of wheels, and then using three-character short sentences to describe the speed of the train. "Covered with a few pieces of oil paper" uses refraining sentences repeatedly, like the sobs of a woman sitting beside a lonely grave in the wind and snow. "Song of Lushan Stone Workers" expresses the heartfelt aspirations of the Han people who endure hard work and love peace with countless "hao ai".There are also many other beautiful syllables.

Fifth, the creation of Chinese literature.When Hu Shi wrote "On Literary Revolution", he proposed ten big characters: "The literature of the national language, the national language of literature." Su Xuelin believes that the so-called national language does not refer to the vernacular, but actually refers to the "official language".In his view, although Hu Shi's vernacular writing is extremely clear and fluent, the language he uses is only the language common in the Yangtze River Valley, with the addition of old vernacular literature such as Water Margin.The language used in Bing Xin's novels is half a dream of Red Mansions and half a Europeanized text, and it is not pure Mandarin.Su Xuelin believed that it was Xu Zhimo who resolutely shouldered the responsibility of creating "Mandarin Literature". Although he was from Xiashi, Zhejiang, he spoke Mandarin very standard.Xu Zhimo's essays are all written in Mandarin, while some of his poems are in Mandarin, some in masonry tunes, and some in ordinary vernacular.

Regarding the spirit of Xu Zhimo's poems, Su Xuelin believes that there are the following points: First, the pursuit of beauty in life. Tao Menghe said that Xu Zhimo is an "idealist. His ideal was influenced by Greekism, and he seeks a full and complete life. He wants to get the most abundant experience in life... Zhimo is not a philosopher who seeks reason. He is an artist who seeks emotional satisfaction... What he loves is the beauty of life. His attitude can be said to be in contrast to Hardy. He once said in praise of Hardy: "Why don't you taste the sweet, and don't sit in the warm seat." , but sings that gloomy tune, the spicy taste is so spicy that his mouth breaks.' Because what he himself seeks is sunshine, warmth, sweetness, beauty, all the beauty of life. He always tries to avoid the ugliness of life , just like a child avoids idols with hideous appearances. He is not only afraid of being ugly or stupid, but he just ignores them and ignores them... He always hopes that what he finds is magical, novel, mysterious, clever, beautiful, All the treasures of life, and he does not want to have their opposite appearance; he hopes that what he finds will always maintain their magic, novelty, mystery, wisdom, and beauty, and he does not want them to show flaws that disappoint him; He doesn't even look at it. Disillusionment is something Zhimo can't bear."

Tao Menghe's words showed Xu Zhimo's entire personality.Some people call him an aestheticist because of his beautiful writing, but Su Xuelin thinks he is an idealist.He believes that the literati of the aesthetic school hide themselves deeply in the "ivory tower", or sit high on the palace of art, and are very separated from the real world.Idealists believe that life is ugly, but there is beauty in it; the universe is mechanical, but it is not ruthless.Also, they believe that the human mind can create everything. So Su Xuelin believes that Xu Zhimo's pursuit of the beauty of life is not only to comfort himself, but also to improve his life.With a brilliant pen, he wrote about the bright moon, stars, sunny clouds, the high pitch of the mountains, and the brilliance of the flowing water; "Like Wulaofeng; write about love, write about light, and describe beauty and kindness.Even women crying in the snow, poor people picking up coal chips by the trash can, old cart drivers pulling carts through back alleys late at night, beggars begging for money with wire wheels, old women in Shanghai-Hangzhou carts, stupid and filthy soldiers, have infinite sympathy.He said: "Poverty is not meanness, there is infinite dignity in old age", and the beauty of life can also be found in these.

Judging from Xu Zhimo's personal behavior, his divorce and second marriage are nothing more than to implement the pursuit of "beauty in life".Although the family relationship was severed, relatives and friends blamed him, but he did not regret it.His deed of pursuing with sacrifice is like the courage of a moth to a flame.Therefore, Hu Shi commented on him: "His life is really a symbol of beauty, love is his religion, his God." Second, the personality of a true poet. Su Xuelin's definition of a poet's personality is that a poet must have enthusiasm and tolerance. Enthusiasm is the driving force behind human endeavors.Hegel said: "There has never been a great success in the world without enthusiasm." As for the creation of literature and art, Su Xuelin believes that if there is no enthusiasm, it is like the lack of firepower when iron is made into steel.In short, all poets are the embodiment of enthusiasm, and Xu Zhimo is the embodiment of enthusiasm.The most concrete manifestation of passion is the love of the sexes.There are many love songs in Xu Zhimo's collection of poems, so some people criticize it as "a poem of lust with an air of overripe and decadent".Xu Zhimo's love is not purely carnal. In fact, what he prays for is the inspiration he gets from love, so as to achieve the most perfect state of spirit.Love is his means, and getting inspiration is his goal.For example, in the poem "Inspiration of Love", Xu Zhimo expresses love as inspiration very clearly: "The day the knot of love was tied in my / heart, I saw death, that / beautiful and eternal world; death / I am willing to invest in it, because it / is the birth of light and freedom. / From then on, I despise my body, / I don’t care about the glory of this world, / I only hope for a longer / time to accommodate my breath, / Brilliant stars are my eyes, / My hair is so crystal clear, / It is the clouds scattered in the sky, / The broad wind is hovering between my armpits / My chest and eyebrows, and the waves / Wash my shins and ankles , every one / agitated and spewed out brilliant gods! / and then there was an electric fire as my thought / a snake-dragon dance in the sky, / the sound of thunder shook me, and suddenly / awakened spring, awakened life. / Inconceivable, oh, incomparable, / The inspiration of love, the power of love! / Just as the majesty of the rising sun sweeps / The mist of the field, the coming of love / Nor does ordinary, trivial and / All vulgarity invade the heart, / Its originally green Pingyang.” Su Xuelin praised Xu Zhimo, saying that it will always be like spring, flames, and love, and it will always be a burning heat.He burned his own poems to emit golden light, burning the hearts of Chinese people, from cold to warm, like a gust of wind, a piece of sunshine, melting the ice and snow on the peak of the Arctic, but unfortunately he finally burned his own body, as he said Flew out of the sky like a night butterfly, turned to ashes in the flames of the stars. In addition, Xu Zhimo has a very broad mind.The wind of abuse in the new literary world has always accompanied the literary world, and it is very difficult for people in it not to be infected.But Xu Zhimo has always maintained his broad sympathy, and he refuses to share the unreasonable abuse.His personality was well known to his friends.Lin Huiyin said: "What we lost was not only a friend and a poet, but also an extremely rare and lovely personality." Tao Menghe said: "The adventure of the Jinan ended a beautiful and lovely soul, but we I feel that we have found an irreparable vacuum in our lives, and a noble personality has disappeared in this despicable world." Zheng Zhenduo also said: "I not only mourn the loss of my most sincere friend for friendship, but also for the current great The age mourns the loss of one of its broadest-hearted and most promising poets." Su Xuelin finally summarized the value and significance of Xu Zhimo's appearance.At the beginning of Chinese new poetry, Xu Zhimo should not be forgotten, he is a lovely genius.Su Xuelin said that the appearance of Xu Zhimo is like the Empress Li of the Five Dynasties.Wang Guowei once said: "When the Ci reaches the master, the vision becomes wider and the emotion becomes deeper, and then the words of the actors are transformed into the words of the scholar-officials." The cornerstone, he occupies an important position in the world of new poetry just like Empress Li in the world of Ci, and he is as immortal!