Chapter 45 Appendix: Dai Wangshu's Modernist Poems

Appendix: Dai Wangshu's Modernist Poems Author: Yan Wei Zhang Tongjian Reposted from: Newly edited modern literature After the decline of the Crescent School, the poetry of the Modern School rose in the poetry world.The Modernists got their name from the magazine "Modern" and because they branded themselves "modern".Shi Zhecun, the editor of the journal, said in "About the Poems in this Journal": "The poems in "Modern Times" are poems. And they are purely modern poems. They are the modern emotions that modern people feel in modern life. A modern poetic form in which modern words are arranged".Their poems are the development of the Symbolist poems in the 1920s.They do not agree with the metrical poems advocated by the Crescent School, they emphasize the freedom of form, do not pay attention to neatness and rhyme, and at the same time pay attention to the appearance of images, and the poetry is hazy and obscure. Su Wen, another editor of "Modern Times", said: "A person reveals his subconscious mind in his dreams, and reveals his secret soul in his poems, but it is only as hazy as a dream." Therefore, the "motivation of poetry is to express oneself." Between hiding yourself" (Du Heng: "Wangshucao Preface" Modern Bookstore, published in August 1933).

Dai Wangshu (1905-1950) is a representative poet in the modern school.He was born in a well-to-do family by the West Lake on March 5, 1905. His mother, Zhuo Peiqi, came from a scholarly family and gave Wang Shu a very good enlightenment education. In 1923, he was admitted to the Literature Department of Shanghai University, and in 1925 he was transferred to the French Department of Aurora University.After that, he translated Verlon's poems, and in 1928, together with Shi Zhecun, Du Heng and Feng Xuefeng, he founded "Literary Workshop".During this period, Dai Wangshu fell in love with Shi Zhecun's younger sister. In order to express his deep love, Dai Wangshu expressed his feelings with poems full of melancholy.

On April 1, 1929, Dai Wangshu's first collection of poems "My Memory" was published. Among them, "Rain Lane" is beautiful, sad, melancholy, and hazy, full of music-like beauty, and became a famous work that was passed down for a while. Known as the "Rain Lane" poet. In 1933, Dai Wangshu published his second collection of poems "Wangshu Grass". He continued to express his feelings to his beloved girl with "Whispers on the Road", "When I'm Alone" and "Come to Me". , weeping for deep love. In order to get the love of his sweetheart, Dai Wangshu went to study in France and entered Lyon University of China and France. Returned to China in the spring of 1935. In October 1936, together with Bian Zhilin, Sun Dayu, Liang Zongdai, Feng Zhi and others, he founded the monthly "New Poetry" and published a large number of poems, becoming a representative poet of the Chinese modernist school.

After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Dai Wangshu took refuge in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, he edited the literary supplement of "Ta Kung Pao" and initiated the publication of "Cultivation" magazine. In the spring of 1938, he edited the supplement of "Sing Tao Daily Sing Tao" in Hong Kong.He actively participated in the fiery anti-Japanese struggle and became an active anti-Japanese literary warrior. In 1939, he edited "Apex" with Ai Qing to promote the anti-Japanese war. At the end of 1941, Dai Wangshu was captured and imprisoned by the Japanese invaders.In prison, Dai Wangshu did not back down. Between love for his children and saving the country against Japan, he chose the latter, and was released on bail by Ye Lingfeng.

In March 1949, Dai Wangshu returned to Beiping; in June, he participated in the First National Congress of Literary and Artistic Workers of China.After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he worked as a French translator in the International Information Office of the General Information Administration.At the same time, Dai Wangshu also translated a large number of poems and more than 30 foreign literary works. In the long-term struggle life and unfortunate marriage life, Dai Wangshu suffered from asthma, but he still worked selflessly. On February 28, 1950, with his infinite attachment to the motherland and countless regrets about his own life , passed away early.

The creation of Dai Wangshu's poetry collection is roughly divided into two periods: the front and the back, with the anti-enemy as the boundary.The early period starts from 1922 and ends in 1937.In this period, on the basis of profound Chinese classical poetry cultivation, poets accepted the influence of French Symbolist poetry, borrowed and transformed its art form, and used it to express personal loneliness and sentimental emotions. main features of .This period can be divided into three stages: 1. "Old tips" stage Dai Wangshu, who lives in Xinghua Chunyu, started practicing writing at the age of 17.Only twelve of the works left at this time can be read now (the "Old Tips" part of the poetry collection "My Memory").Because this sensitive poet suffered from the sentimentalism of the times from the very beginning, he also accepted the negative romanticism in Europe and the United States, advocating the expression of the poet's self and inner life, and his poems are full of self-pity and moaning.For example, "I am afraid of the sorrow and suffering of the present / the difficulties of the day and night, / the fear that there will be no joy in the future, / the more I feel that the old days will be difficult" ("Knowing"), "Happiness is just a dream, / loneliness is waiting for me to live Endure! / I secretly choked up my tears, / I gave birth to another day!" ("Career") But it can also be seen from this that the poems of this stage pay more attention to the beauty of words and colors, and have a tendency of Western aestheticism.In terms of poetic style, various explorations have also been carried out, free verse with meter and semi-meter, paying attention to the symmetry of lines and the rhythm of poetry.The language is influenced by classical poetry, but also uses modern spoken language, which is fresh and pure.

2. "Rain Lane" stage In 1925, Dai Wangshu transferred to Aurora University to study French, which gave him the opportunity to directly read the works of symbolic poets such as Verlaine, Gourmont, and Yehmer in French.Symbolist poets paid attention to the use of symbols and suggestive techniques, and used vivid images to express the poet's secret inner emotions, etc., which were very close to his artistic personality, so he began to apply his artistic skills to his own creations. At the same time, the early stage The poets of the Crescent School were actively advocating the establishment of metrical poetry. At that time, many poets were keen to apply the regularity of old poems to new poems, and even devoted themselves to reappearing the image and artistic conception of old poems in new poems, which also influenced him to a certain extent. The "Rain Lane" published in 1928 was obviously influenced by the French Symbolism School and the Mid-term Crescent School, marking the gradual maturity of his poetic art.

3. "My memory" stage After "Rain Lane" aroused huge repercussions, Dai Wangshu did not continue to walk along "Rain Lane".He was greatly inspired by the Western Symbolist poets who dared to resist the traditional forms and dared to innovate. I began to realize that "poetry cannot rely on music", because "rhyme and neat words and sentences hinder poetic emotion, or make poetic emotion deformed. If you adapt the emotion of poetry to the dull and superficial old laws, it is the same as adapting your own sufficient It’s like wearing other people’s shoes” (Du Heng’s Preface to Wangshucao).Therefore, he reversed his pursuit of musical beauty in the past, and created "My Memory" with a style very different from his previous works several months after "Rain Lane" was written.Bian Zhilin made a summary of his poetry language, form and style pursuit at this stage: "In the friendly daily life, it is comfortable, sharp, precise, without losing its charm, restrained chic and skillful. Simple" (Preface to Dai Wangshu's Anthology of Poems). "My Memory" purely uses spoken language in daily life, and selects a large number of the most common images in life: cigarettes, pen holders, wine bottles, etc., so as to form a sense of intimacy; the tone of the whole poem is also calm and calm, which is indeed A kind of "restrained chic". The poem "Impression" is based on sincere feelings, extravagant but not hypocritical, gorgeous and lawful. , "If it is a cyan pearl, / It has fallen into the dark water of the ancient well".It is not only the superposition of auditory and visual images, but also the fusion of concrete and abstract. "The gloomy setting sun shining on the forest tops/It fades away gently/Followed by the faint smile on the face", it is the "nature" in the "human" feeling, and it is the "human" who follows "nature".It can be seen that from the beginning of "My Memory", a free verse style that is comfortable and comfortable has become Dai Wangshu's handy form.This poetic form is formed on the basis of fully absorbing the nutrition of Chinese classical poetry and boldly drawing on the artistic advantages of Western poetry.Its appearance marks the maturity of Chinese blank free verse.

Later creation was from 1937 to 1945.After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Dai Wangshu could no longer indulge in the sadness of "ego" because of the nation's worries and personal experiences. It has become deep and dignified, and its reality has been enhanced.The poet's realistic attitude, molded by the times and fate, also changed his consistent poetic style to a certain extent.The hazy and ethereal atmosphere generated by the wonderful imagery is diluted, and the poet uses more sketches to present his true emotions. "Here is a balcony, this window, / There is happiness peeping from behind, / There are several books, two beds, / A vase of flowers... This is heaven"; "But this terrace, This window, / there is so quiet, no sound, / no cute shadow, petite shouting, / just lonely, lonely, accompanied by sunshine" ("Old Residence").

As an intellectual with conscience, Dai Wangshu also actively participated in the anti-Japanese torrent and participated in the anti-Japanese propaganda work to arouse the people.The realistic education and life training gradually improved his understanding and broadened his mind, and also continuously cast his new feelings, new image and new language. On New Year's Day in 1939, he wrote the short poem "New Year's Day Blessing", which is the first new voice of this change.The poets expressed their best wishes to the motherland and the people with their sincere attitude, joyful mood and high rhythm: May "our land" grow "stronger life" and "our people" be "free and liberated" ".As a result, his poetry "should become a force for the War of Resistance" as he himself hoped. "New Chinese poetry has a deeper content and a more perfect form of expression." The inaugural issue "Miscellaneous Notes after the Editor").

After the fall of Hong Kong in 1941, Dai Wangshu was arrested and imprisoned. In prison, he wrote the most patriotic and fighting poems in his life, such as "Inscription on the Wall in Prison", "Waiting", "I use my damaged palm ", "Oucheng" and so on, the poems are full of strong emotions, and the poetic style is clear and vigorous.In the dungeon, in the damp and filthy corner, the author has experienced the test of life and death, and also experienced the tempering of sentiment.In the poem "I Use My Broken Hand", facing the god of death, he is concerned about the fate of the suffering motherland, especially looking forward to the "warm, clear, firm and vigorous spring" in the far corner.The author's conception is quite unique, using the palm to caress the thing he loves -- first, "I use my damaged palm" to touch the land of the motherland in turn; China's great vision.The techniques of contrast and symbolism show a strong emotional color in this poem, and the rhythm blends the flow and resilience of the author's feelings. "Inscription on the Wall in Prison" is another touching poem by him.This poem does not actually describe the poet's life experience in the enemy's prison, but fabricates it based on facts and creates a surreal poetic environment through imagination.The fantasy world of the poem is based on two hypotheses: one is to imagine that he is dead, and the other is to imagine that the War of Resistance Against Japan has finally won.It is on these two fulcrums that the poet expresses his sincere feelings to his friends. This concept first highlights the fate of the individual and the motherland. One of you", that is to say, the individual and the motherland share weal and woe, and his suffering is the suffering of the motherland!That's why the poet calls out: "The deep hatred he harbors / You should remember forever".Even if he died, because he died for the motherland, the poet firmly believed: "I will live forever/in your hearts".This way of thinking is also conducive to the organic integration of the poet's spirit of seeing death as home and his confidence in the victory of the motherland.On the one hand, the psalm uses the death of the body to highlight the immortality of the patriotism. On the day of triumph, even if only his "damaged limbs" are dug out of the soil, the poet firmly believes that people will "bring their own limbs" with the cheers of victory. The soul is raised high"; on the other hand, the poem uses the nostalgia for the light after death to reflect the longing for freedom before birth. When the poet hopes to win, he puts his bones on the mountain / exposed to the sun and bathed in the wind" , and told people: "In that dark and damp dungeon/This was his only dream"! Even after death, it is conceivable that in life, life and death are all obsessed with freedom and light. In terms of art, words in The melancholy shows strength, the tone shows deepness from soothing, and the image and picture are plain, simple and full of romantic passion. This artistic state of fantasy and reality blends together the poet's unyielding will and national liberation spirit. Faith is delivered with penetrating, to a memorable degree. In short, Dai Wangshu's later creation, from content to creation method, already belongs to realism, which shows his conversion from modernism to realism.In terms of performance, most of them rhyme, have multiple words and complex sentences, pay attention to sentence structure and composition, and partially restore the musical and new meter forms that were abandoned by poets, showing a return to a higher level. [Selected Works] Rain Lane/Dai Wangshu "Rain Lane" is Dai Wangshu's famous and representative work.After receiving the poem, Ye Shengtao, who was acting as the editor of "Novel Monthly" at the time, said that the poem "opened a new jiyuan for the syllables of the new poem", and Dai Wangshu won the title of "Rain Lane Poet" for this reason.Reading "Rain Lane", we are introduced into a hazy and erratic realm like a dream song. The whole poem expresses the poet's extreme sorrow and loss in pursuit of nothingness with its beautiful, low and slow tune.It is the artistic manifestation of the poet's beautiful longing and illusory pursuit.The "I" in this poem is a young man who is addicted to emotional pursuit. He is often alone, wandering in the long rainy alley in the south of the Yangtze River, waiting for a beautiful girl. "She has the color of lilac, Fragrant like cloves, sad like lilacs."This is a beautiful image, but at the same time it is given a sad color by the poet.Her heart is full of "indifference, desolation and melancholy", "she approached silently", but finally drifted past me, disappointing me, and cast a breath-like gaze, "she" is a dream, hard to detect, unstoppable Uncertainty, "he" is thus hesitant, and in the hesitation, he pursues and pursues....But "I" can't do anything, only have infinite regret, and can only watch "her" from a distance "to the ruined fence, and walk all the way through this rainy lane".Finally, in "The Lament of the Rain", everything about "her" disappeared into the haze like light smoke and mist, gone forever.Only the melancholy of "I"'s pursuit of nothing and the despair of "I" are left, which further casts a layer of sentimentality on the already low tone of the poem, making it even more desolate and resentful. The lyrical protagonist in the poem has a sense of tragedy and loneliness, because the beautiful girl he expects to symbolize his ideal is just a hazy image like a dream.Because the singing of the lyrical protagonist and the image of the girl with symbolic meaning are closely linked with a poetic image (a long and lonely rainy lane) with rich connotations and profound artistic conception, the whole poem is dyed with a sense of humor in both content and form. The stylistic characteristics of symbolist poetry.However, because the emotional experience conveyed in the poem is based on the details of real daily life, the poem breaks away from the common features of symbolic poetry (such as the works of the French poet Verlaine admired by Dai Wangshu). Unfathomable mystery. The dark and narrow alleys in "Rain Lane" and the continuous rain are the common scenery in the rainy season in Jiangnan towns, but the "I" and "I" who are "holding oil-paper umbrellas" and "one with sorrow" appear in the poem. "The girl" is not a specific portrayal of real life, but a lyrical image full of symbolic meaning. These illusory images are not real, they are both clear and hazy, bright and deep, indistinct, vague, so that readers I deeply understand the poet's erratic melancholy and the emptiness and loneliness of his futile pursuit.In addition to being influenced by the art of symbolic poetry, "Rain Lane" has obvious traces of borrowing from the art of Chinese classical poetry. "Spring birds don't spread letters outside the cloud, and cloves empty and worry about rain" is the term of Li Wangjing, the master of the Southern Tang Dynasty.Dai Wangshu absorbed the methods of describing sorrow and creating artistic conception in old poems to express sorrow and sadness. "Rain Lane" also has outstanding achievements in musicality.There are seven stanzas in the whole poem, each of which has six lines. The length of each line is different, and the rhyming positions are of different lengths, but the intervals are regular, and the rhyme ends at the end.In particular, the poet skillfully used the overlapping of words, the pause of sound groups, and the repeated lengthening of the rhythm of the poem, forming a reverberating and breathtaking musical melody. "Rain Lane", "Long", " Words such as "girl", "fragrant", and "melancholy" are repeated repeatedly in the rhyme, which conveys a flowing emotion, a feeling of low back and confusion.