Mr. Wen Yiduo's Desk

Wen YiduoOct 2017

Rating 4.2
Word count
7.5K words
Chapters
11

Tags

Essays and Miscellany Study LifeLiterati SpiritGroup BiographyHumanistic CareScholar's SentimentIntellectual CommentaryBeautiful EssaysSelf-ReflectionCrescent Moon PoetryModern China

Summary

Wen Yiduo was originally named Wen Jiahua and also known as Duo, Yiduo, and Yiduo; his courtesy names were Yousan and Youshan. He was a great modern Chinese patriot, poet, scholar, and democratic fighter, and a representative poet of the Crescent Moon School.

Editor's review

This book explores Wen Yiduo's identities as both poet and scholar. Its title draws on the image of the "desk," suggesting an understanding of this representative Crescent Moon poet from the scene of daily writing and scholarship. Wen Yiduo was at once a modern patriot, a democratic fighter, and a scholar deeply engaged with classical literature and poetic art; the overlap of these multiple identities gives his writing both emotional force and intellectual density. Readers can sense the Crescent Moon School's attention to form, rhythm, and imagery, and also appreciate an intellectual's spiritual choices amid the currents of his time. It suits slow reading in a quiet setting and is especially good as an introductory text for understanding the history of modern Chinese poetry and the spiritual history of Chinese intellectuals. While reading, note the resonance between poetic imagery and scholarly textual research; there is no need to finish it in one sitting—reading in sections and savoring slowly better reveals the measured quality of his language and his restrained expression of emotion.

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Reading tips

  1. First read through once to feel the rhythm of the language, then go back and mark particularly notable images and word choices.
  2. After each section, write a few sentences about your understanding to help consolidate your impressions.
  3. Read alongside background material on the history of modern Chinese poetry for a more complete understanding.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 罪过
  3. 天安门
  4. 飞毛腿
  5. 洗衣歌
  6. 闻一多先生的书桌
  7. 园内
  8. 渔阳曲
  9. 大暑
  10. 口供
  11. 收回

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background in poetry at all? It can be read, but it requires some patience. The language is particular about form and rhythm, and on first reading it may feel somewhat distant. It is best to start with shorter pieces with clearer imagery; do not force yourself to understand everything at once—first get a feel for the language, then gradually bring in background material.
How should the "desk" in the title be understood? The "desk" can be understood as an image of the scene of writing and scholarship, suggesting that readers approach Wen Yiduo from the perspective of daily creation and academic work. It does not point to any specific piece but offers a reading perspective: looking at both the poet's expression of emotion and the scholar's careful deliberation and restraint.
Do I need to know about the Crescent Moon School before reading this book? Not necessarily, but some grounding will make it smoother. The Crescent Moon School valued form, rhythm, and imagery; understanding this makes it easier to see why the language in this book is so polished. If you know nothing about it, you might first read a few representative Crescent Moon poems before entering this book, which will make the experience more concrete.

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About the author

Wen Yiduo Author · China · 1899–1946

Wen Yiduo, originally named Wen Jiahua, was a native of Xishui, Hubei, and a modern Chinese poet, scholar, and democratic fighter, as well as a representative poet of the Crescent Moon School. He studied at Tsinghua in his early years and later went to the United States to study fine arts. In 1923 he published the poetry collection Red Candle, and he also wrote Dead Water. He taught successively at Wuhan University, Qingdao University, Tsinghua University, and Southwest Associated University, devoting himself to research on the Songs of Chu, the Book of Songs, and Tang poetry. His scholarly works, including New Interpretations of the Classics and Miscellaneous Discussions on Tang Poetry, combine textual scholarship with literary grace, and lecture notes compiled from his teaching also circulated widely. His poems are marked by attention to meter and imagery and by deep feeling, and they have had a profound influence on the history of modern Chinese poetry. On July 15, 1946, he was assassinated by Kuomintang agents in Kunming at the age of forty-seven.