Chapter 4 "Written on the Fiery Red Battle Flag - Selected Poems of the Red Guards"

"Red Guard Poetry" first appeared in big-character posters, leaflets, and mimeograph tabloids during the "Cultural Revolution", and has long lingered in the stage of "Limegrain". With the widespread appearance of Red Guard newspapers after the summer of 1967, Red Guard poetry followed the Red Guard Along with political papers and prose, great progress has been made. In December 1968, the editorial department of "Red Guards Literature and Art" edited and published a collection of Red Guards' poems: "Written on the Fiery Red Battle Flag - Anthology of Red Guards' Poems".Included are 98 Red Guard poems produced nationwide from 1966 to 1968.

The title page of the anthology reads: In the "Preface" of the anthology, the editor explained: "The poems collected here are almost all written by young Chinese Red Guard soldiers." The editor cheered enthusiastically: "Light up the raging fire that buried the capitalist world , Facing the dawn of the victory of communism, march forward - liberate all mankind, the hope rests on us. Long live the Chinese Red Guards!" The collection of poems is divided into eight parts: Ode to the Red Sun (11 poems), Ballads of the Red Guards (31 poems), In the War-torn Days (27 poems), Power Seizure Storm (5 poems), Ode to the Great Wall (5 poems), Dedicated to Workers' poems (6 poems), Jinggangshan Road (7 poems), Wuzhou Fenglei Song (6 poems).

Poems praising Mao Zedong were numerous during the "Cultural Revolution", but the odes of the Red Guards still had their own characteristics. I caress the red wall of Tiananmen, Like a child snuggling up to his mother—— "Ode to the Red Sun" Beijing Sunflower Tiananmen is a giant ship of the times Chairman Mao strode on the majestic deck—— "Longevity to Chairman Mao—Commemorating the First Anniversary of Chairman Mao's Meeting with the Red Guards on the 11th" Northeast Hongye A female worker of a restaurant in Moscow saw Chinese student Red Guards wearing golden Chairman Mao badges on their chests on the street. She ran forward and said softly...

Your breast badge shines with the brilliance of the red sun, Chinese Red Guards, please give me one! Disastrous Russia, Looking forward to the second October Revolution has passed—— "Your chest shines with the radiance of the red sun" Anonymous The north wind blows slowly, You send a few words to Beijing City. Red flags are planted on the hilltops of Yan'an, The rebels miss Chairman Mao the most—— "Long live Chairman Mao, long live! "Shaanxi Anonymous During the "Cultural Revolution", "Red Guard Ballads" were mostly seen in "Great Criticism Columns", tabloids, and publications' "reported buttocks" and gaps in the blanks.It can reflect the language characteristics of the "Cultural Revolution" era.Some of the ballads included in the poetry anthology were widely circulated in the society at that time, orally, and on big-character posters, and the other part was "doggerel" that imitated ballads and filled the gaps in newspapers.Here is a selection of its characteristic songs of the times, which are transcribed as follows:

Who is Liu Shaoqi / I will arrest you today! / Cramp your tendons, / Peel your skin, / Kick your skull like a ball! / Swear to defend the Party Central Committee! / Swear to defend Chairman Mao! (Hubei) I have experienced severe beatings and sieges, / At most, I have chopped off my head. / If I don’t want to be revolutionary, / The stone blossoms and the horse grows horns. (Sichuan) How old are bread and steamed buns, / I will starve to death and don’t want you. /Hurry up and bring the four volumes of Xiongwen, /Revolutionary young generals want the truth. (Hubei) With iron integrity and heroic courage, / raise your head to rebel; / do not look back when you have a clear direction, / dare to go through the sea of ​​fire and mountains of knives. (Jiangsu)

Of course, these ballads have no artistry, but they can reflect the aesthetic standards of the "Cultural Revolution" era. Elegance and gentleness are ugly, and brutality and brutality are beautiful.It seems childish, but full of domineering.The most commonly used words in this type of ballad are: Lao Tzu, Sha, Smashing, Gong.Strangely, the Red Guards of those days were able to derive "beauty" from it. The first part of "In the Days of War" includes the famous poem "Let go of me, mother!" ": Let go of me, mother! Don't worry about your children.

Our comrades are everywhere, What a mob's spear! I will never be a suckling swallow whispering around the beam, lingering under the eaves all day long; To be an eagle fighting the sky, To meet the scour of the storm! The "hero's father" is mentioned in the poem: "Twenty years ago, / He was sacrificed under the butcher's knife of the reactionaries." Flag, / rushing to fight in a pool of dark red blood... / In order to defend Chairman Mao's revolutionary line / his young life burst out with brilliance!" The poet said: "Think about it, mother! / What should the living people do?"

The poet finally said: "Goodbye, mother! / Our Supreme Commander Chairman Mao / Ordered me to leave immediately!" "Wait for the news of our victory, mother! "One day, we will gather together under the red flag. "Without capturing the complete victory of the 'Cultural Revolution', "My son swears to be a ghost for thousands of years and will not return home after death!" "Let go of me, Mom! "The author Wu Keqiang is from Wuhan.This poem was written in June 1967, on the eve of the "July 20 Incident" in Wuhan. In January 1967, Lin Biao's arrest of "a small number of people in the army" and Shanghai's "January Storm" swept Hubei Province. In early February, rebels in the army forcibly occupied the Hongqi Building in Hankou and took over the building. Changjiang Daily. On February 8, the "Yangtze River Daily", which changed its owner, published the "Statement on the Current Situation in Wuhan" (the "February 8 Statement"), proposing: "The whole of Wuhan and the whole of Hubei will be in chaos, especially, and deeply. Chaos..." The Wuhan Military Region issued a "Solemn Statement" ("February 28 Statement") on February 28, sending troops to take over the Red Flag Building again.In March and April, the conflict between the "Workers Headquarters" and the "Million Heroes" faction became fierce, and bloody incidents occurred frequently in battles, which finally led to the "July 20 Incident" that shocked the whole country against the "Central Delegation".Wang Li was surrounded by the "Millions of Heroes" who were designated as conservatives. A large number of soldiers and civilians flooded the streets. Thousands of large trucks carried workers and farmers wearing wicker hats and holding spears, as well as commanders and fighters of the troops stationed in Han. The four-way column held demonstrations, and the slogan "Down with Wang Li!" resounded over the three towns of Wuhan. On July 27, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central Military Commission, and the Central "Cultural Revolution" issued "A Letter to the Revolutionary Masses and General Commanders and Fighters in Wuhan", supporting the rebels to defeat Chen Zaidao.On the same day, Chen Zaidao, commander of the Wuhan Military Region, and Zhong Hanhua, political commissar, were dismissed.The independent division under the jurisdiction of the Wuhan Military Region was branded as a "rebel army", and Marshal Xu Qianqian and others were falsely accused of being "black backstage".

Just two days after the "July 20 Incident", when Jiang Qing addressed the mass organizations in Henan Province, he put forward the slogan of "Cultural Attack, Military Defense". On July 23, the slogan "Cultural Attack Military Defense" was published in "Wen Wei Po". Since then, the nationwide armed struggle has escalated sharply and entered a full-scale civil war. Wu Keqiang's poems reflected the fierce and brutal armed conflicts in Wuhan and Hubei Province at that time.It is unclear whether the death of the "brother" mentioned in this poem is a real incident in Wu Keqiang's family.But during the "Cultural Revolution", ordinary readers read this poem as a true record of life, which is also an important factor for the wide spread of this poem.

"Let go of me, Mom! "Highly summarized and condensed the living conditions of many people and young people in Wuhan and even the whole country under the impact of the movement and the atmosphere of fighting and bloodshed.Whether it is self-involvement or forced involvement, the "Cultural Revolution" movement has ruthlessly impacted every family and individual life, smashing the quiet and peaceful life to pieces. "Let go of me, Mom! "The whole poem makes a sad and excited sound, and at the same time, you can smell the smell of gunpowder and blood. Poems reflecting the large-scale bloody conflicts in Wuhan during the same period, as well as "Please let go-dedicated to the comrades who died heroically in the anti-violence struggle" (Wuhan Lu Liang), "I Walk on the Streets of Wuhan" (Wuhan Xiaozhan), " Ode to the Red Flag Building" (Wuhan Li Changsheng), "When the Day Is About to Light" (Wuhan Zhaohui), etc.These poems reflect the intensity of the movement's conflict in one aspect.Both sides of the struggle claim to fight for Mao Zedong!

Please let go, let go, let go! /Dear comrades! /Leave it to me,/this "Quotations from Chairman Mao" in your hand. Pressing the bleeding wound, / Facing the north, you fell heroically... / The brightly colored armbands of Mao Zedong Thought Red Guards, / Soaked in hot blood! A bloody sharp knife was inserted into your throat! /...White wreaths and elegiac couplets, / have filled the streets where you lie down. /...Your dear mother, without a drop of tears, / She bit her unyielding lips, / Marched and demonstrated with us, / Facing the morning glow, walking in the forefront...—— "Please Let Go - Dedicated to the Comrades Who Died Heroically in the Anti-Uprising Struggle" ...Let the rain of revolution drench us to the brim! / Even if it is fire and lightning, / must fight a bloody way! /... There are four volumes of majestic writing in the chest, /Hengmei coldly confronts the big knife and dagger! —— "Straighten your waist and hold your head up—dedicated to our comrades-in-arms" (Wuhan Lv Liang) In the turmoil of the "Cultural Revolution" and the hail of guns and bullets of "Cultural Attacks and Military Defenses", the Red Guards dedicated all their enthusiastic eulogies to their battle flags.The battle flag is a sacred symbol of the "Cultural Revolution" struggle, youthful ideals and heroism. Ah, battle flags!We miss you so dearly— With sincere feelings like raging fire and lofty respect like blue sky! ... Zhanqi, who is more familiar with your face than us—— As pure as blood, as bright as fire, as bright as a rainbow! —— "The Fiery Red Battle Flag" (Henan Honglanman) Big banner, how long have you been flying in our hearts! Bitter sweat soaks every fiber of the flag, The bright red blood stains every inch of your lines red! ... The black hands of the capitalist roaders once tore up this bright red flag, With tears in your eyes, we will mend you stitch by stitch. ... I can't forget the days and nights in front of the Hongqi Building, The big flag and the red flag of the revolutionary young general fight side by side; ... Daqi, you are our red revolutionary manifesto... "Ode to the Great Banner" Wuhan Ding Xi Rest in peace, dear comrade, Let us cover you with a fiery battle flag! ... "Please Let Go - Dedicated to the Comrades Who Died Heroically in the Anti-Uprising Struggle" Lv Liang, Wuhan The Red Guard poems included in the anthology that directly record the struggle of the "Cultural Revolution" movement include: "Rebel's Diary" (210 lines, anonymous), "Seizure of Power - The Song of the January Revolution" (190 lines, Shandong Jiyu), "Good - Cheers to the First Marxist-Leninist Poster in the Country" (Wang Rong) , "Gift to the Red Announcer" (Northeast Anonymous), "Singing to Bury the Liu and Deng Dynasty" (Jiangsu Battle Song), "Struggle Meeting" (Jiangsu Anonymous), "Tao Zhu Facial Makeup" (Poetry with Painting, Henan), "Printing Leaflets" ( Three Outer Songs, Hubei), etc. it is good! / This charge, / list a thousand more, / we - bear! / Listen, don't tremble: / Whoever laughs last, / Who is the prettiest! —— "Rebel's Diary" Part 5 "Answer to the Interrogation of the Black Party Committee" Pick up the roller, use all your strength, / Press it over!Press it!Press it! /... Ah, steamroller of revolution, / You pioneered!open up!open up! —— "Printing Leaflets" (1) Printing Leaflets spread!spread!spread! /The kindling sown shall blossom. /spread!spread!spread! / The hatred sown will explode! / The sharp knife cast down is shining, / The knife is facing Liu Deng to kill! —— "Printing Leaflets" (2) Spreading Leaflets broadcast!broadcast!broadcast! /... The rolled-up tube is the muzzle, / the cannon hits the enemy's heart! —— "Printing Flyers" (3) Earth Trumpets brush!brush!brush! /Paint the streets and paint the tiles. …—— "Printing Leaflets" (4) Printing Slogans Some poems record other historical pictures full of "sensitivity" in the activities of the Red Guards, which is another reality of life: You come from the south of the Yangtze River, / the sparks of Jinggangshan, / shine on the bamboo hat. / I went back to northern Shaanxi, / In my disheveled hair, / Grass clippings on the banks of the Yanhe River stuck. /... "Have you seen it?" / You asked me with a smile. / "Well. What about you?" / "August 18th!"— "Meeting at Tiananmen" Shaanxi Yan Jilie I am sitting at the window of the train going south, / outside the window is the golden late autumn in the south of the Yangtze River, / the flag of the Long March flies across the golden field. /Red Guards weave straw hats with weeping willows by the stream... "Sitting at the window of the train going south" Zhejiang Fengyu From the stormy cheers on the air, Mom, can you tell which one is your son's voice? —— "In Beijing" Shaanxi Gaoliang "Written on the Fiery Red Battle Flag—Selected Poems of the Red Guards" began to be edited in July 1968, and it took 5 months to compile and publish at the end of 1968.In the postscript, the editorial department of "Red Guards Literature and Art" specifically pointed out that this selection of poems was supported by Tsinghua University, Peking University, Central Academy of Drama, Beijing Film Academy, Central Institute of Finance and other universities in the capital - Worker Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Team, People's Liberation Army Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Team, and provided "a lot of convenience". Judging from the work style and ideological tendency of "Selected Poems", it is a typical product of the "Cultural Revolution" movement.The creative technique is relatively simple, the content is extremely left, but the words and sentences are relatively "tame and elegant", and the "obstructive language" at that time cannot be found in it. At the end of 1968, the Red Congress of the capital’s colleges and universities was already under the control of the central “Cultural Revolution” group. This poetry anthology was “helped” by the workers’ and military propaganda teams of various universities, which also shows that it has received “official” support . There is also a prose poem included in this anthology——"Dedicated to Those Who Overcome Thorns" (anonymous), the whole poem is about 2,000 words, and it is a prose poem that exaggerates Jiang Qing's hype. "You are the eternally unsheathed sword of the proletariat, you are the lightning that pierced the sky in the twentieth century, you are the vigorous Haiyan in the red storm of the Cultural Revolution... Dear Comrade Jiang Qing, you are the most outstanding proletariat ever A female politician, a heroine, and an ordinary Communist!" - "To those who have overcome all obstacles" Judging this anthology must take into account the political context in which it was edited.In July 1968, the Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Team of Workers and the Mao Zedong Thought Propaganda Team of the People's Liberation Army had been stationed in universities, middle schools and primary schools across the country according to Mao Zedong's instructions.On July 26, Yao Wenyuan's article "The Working Class Must Lead Everything" was published in the "People's Daily", which conveyed Mao Zedong's instructions: "The workers' propaganda team must stay in the school for a long time, and participate in all the tasks of struggle, criticism, and reform in the school. And lead the school forever." The influential figures at that time—the leaders of the five college students in Beijing: Nie Yuanzi of Peking University, Han Aijing of Beijing Aeronautical College, Tan Houlan of Beijing Normal University, Wang Dabin of Geology College, and Kuai Dafu of Tsinghua University were called into Zhongnanhai by Mao Zedong in the early morning of July 28. Kuai Dafu was criticized, and Kuai burst into tears on the spot.After the summons, the five leaders returned to school, mobilized their subordinates to put down their weapons and dismantle the fortifications.Mao Zedong's latest instructions were conveyed shortly: "Most or most of the students trained from the old schools are able to combine with workers and peasants...the workers, peasants and soldiers give them re-education and completely reform the old ideas." As a result, the Red Guard movement came to an abrupt end in July 1968, and the rebel students changed from "Red Guard young generals" to "re-education" targets.From August to December, the 66th, 67th, and 68th college graduates embarked on the journey of re-education for workers, peasants and soldiers, and were assigned to the most difficult places in the motherland to undergo tests. Considering the historical background when this "Red Guard Poetry Anthology" was compiled, the anthology is naturally "flattering", but it retains a batch of historical materials after all.Although some of the poems collected in it have been screened, eliminated, and polished, after all, there are still many individual works and the "primitive" style of the poems.Basically, it can be said to be a summary of the poetry creation of the Red Guard Movement from 1966 to 1968. After the Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in April 1969, the mass organization departments in various places were disbanded, social order was gradually fully restored, and the "Cultural Revolution" entered a new stage.The history of the "Cultural Revolution" before the Ninth National Congress was deliberately "forgotten" and rewritten and interpreted. "Written on the Flaming Battle Flag", an anthology of poems by the Red Guards that was once tacitly approved, was also tabooed and banned.