The Dream Seeker

Dai WangshuOct 2017

4.2

Word count: 1.4K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Dai Wangshu, a native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang, was a renowned modern Chinese poet. In 1925 he entered Aurora University in Shanghai to study French and came under the influence of the French Symbolists. In 1926 he joined the Communist Youth League, and after 1928 became one of the contributors to the Shuimo Society and later to the journal Xiandai (Les Contemporains), writing modernist poetry. In 1932 he studied in France and Spain. In 1938 he went to Hong Kong and edited the literary supplement of Sing Tao Daily. When Hong Kong fell at the end of 1941, he was imprisoned by the Japanese on charges of resisting Japan, and he maintained his national integrity in prison; he was rescued and released the following spring. After the victory of the War of Resistance he returned to Shanghai to teach, and in the spring of 1949 he went north to the liberated areas. He died of illness in 1950. His early poems mostly depict personal loneliness and solitude, with a strong sentimental tone; influenced by the Western Symbolists, their imagery is hazy and suggestive. His later poems express ardent love for the motherland, hatred of the invaders, and a passionate longing for a better future, and his style becomes clear and deeply sincere.

Editor's review

Dai Wangshu is known for "Rain Lane," but this collection reveals the poet in fuller form. His early poems, influenced by the French Symbolists, are hazy and suggestive, dwelling on private loneliness with a strong melancholy tone; after the war and his imprisonment, his style turns clear and profound, filled with love for his country and hatred of the invaders. This book suits readers who want a systematic understanding of Chinese modernist poetry and clearly shows one poet's spiritual transformation amid the upheavals of his time. Read early and late works side by side to feel how symbolism intertwines with love of country.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Lovers of modern Chinese literature who want a systematic view of Dai Wangshu's poetry
University students interested in modernist poetry and Symbolism
Chinese teachers and poetry researchers needing texts for teaching or study
General readers who enjoy discovering layers of imagery and feeling in short poems

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer tightly plotted, strongly narrative novels
Beginners with little patience for the hazy imagery of modern poetry
Readers who know only "Rain Lane" and have no wish to read further

Reading tips

Read the later, clear and profound works first, then return to the early hazy poems and compare how the poet's style changes
Keep a notebook, copy out striking images, and jot down your own associations
Read aloud to feel the rhythm and musicality of the poems
Read the later poems alongside the history of the War of Resistance to understand the shift in feeling

版权信息
旅思
不寐
深闭的园子
灯
寻梦者
乐园鸟
见勿忘我花
微笑

FAQ

Why is Dai Wangshu's poetry somewhat hard to understand?

His early work was influenced by the French Symbolists, using hazy, suggestive images to express private states of mind, with abrupt leaps rather than the directness of narrative poetry. Grasp the overall mood first; don't try to decode every image word by word. Read the poems several times, then consider the poet's life, and the layers will gradually come through.

Is this book suitable for middle school students?

It works as supplementary reading. Middle school students have already met "Rain Lane," and reading further gives them the poet's full creative arc. Some early poems are abstract in imagery, though, so read with a teacher's or parent's guidance, focusing on the later works with their clear emotion and strong love of country, which are easier to connect with.

Is there a big difference between the early and late poems?

Yes, a marked one. The early poems dwell on private loneliness and melancholy, with hazy, suggestive imagery; the later ones, written after the war and his imprisonment, turn clear and profound, full of love for his country and hatred of the invaders. Reading them in contrast makes plain how the times and personal experience shaped his work.

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About the author

Dai Wangshu Author · China · 1905–1950

Dai Wangshu (1905–1950) was a Chinese symbolist poet of the modern school and a translator, born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. His signature poem "Rain Alley" earned him the title of "Rain Alley Poet"; his work is known for its hazy imagery and musicality and has had a lasting influence on modern Chinese poetry. He studied in France and Spain, and during the War of Resistance against Japan he engaged in anti-Japanese literary activities in Hong Kong before being arrested and imprisoned by the Japanese army, writing poems such as "Inscribed on the Prison Wall" and "I Use My Maimed Hand." His writings span modern poetry, essays, and translations of foreign literature, including a translation of Lorca's poetry. He died in Beijing in 1950 at the age of forty-five, leaving works such as Wangshu's Grass, My Memory, and Years of Disaster that are still read today.