Guo Lusheng
Encyclopedia
Guo Lusheng pen name Shi Zhi, index finger, was an influential Chinese
poet of the 1960s, considered the "founder of the New Poetry movement".
His poems were the first to break with the Mao Zedong
-style classicist poetry, expressing the "bewilderment of the Red Guard generation". Young readers spread his poems widely in hand-copied form, and he was one of the mascots of the zhiqing generation - educated youth who were sent to the countryside during the cultural revolution. This underground poetry movement continued over the next 30 years, and he inspired several modern movements including the Misty poets
.
, and like the wives of many Red Army soldiers, his mother was accompanying the army, when he was born by the roadside during a bitter winter march in 1948. The name Lusheng means "born on the road".
He started writing poetry early, and came into attention of the authorities for his poetry, which were noted for their "bourgeois values" by an admiring teacher at school.
Along with Zhang Langlang and Mu Dunbai, he was a member of the
underground literature group ‘Sun Fleet’, which was broken up in 1966, with many of the members committing suicide or receiving death sentences; Guo himself was arrested and beaten up
Despite being released, he had been branded a "rightist student" and could sense the danger swirling all around him.
During the Cultural revolution
in 1968, Guosheng was sent for two years to the Apricot village in Shanxi
. Durint this period he fell in love with the Uyghur
girl Lili, and wrote some tragic love poems. Upon his return, he was inducted in the People's Liberation Army
, hoping he may be able to get his poetry published. He was given a clerical position, but he became depressed and withdrawn from the oppressive conditions; he was soon discharged.
With all his friends scattered, Lusheng shut himself in his room and became a chain-smoker. Soon thereafter, his father saw that he had drawn a picture of a man with a long knife to his neck, and became concerned that he may be contemplating suicide. The family took him to a mental institution, and since then he has been passing his time shuttling between home and the hospital. Eventually, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia
in 1973.
During a reprieve from the mental institution, he met and married Ala Li, the daughter of Li Lisan
, an early leader of the Chinese revolution and ex-minister of labour, who died in mysterious circumstances.
Despite his prominence, Lusheng was largely forgotten in the opening up era, though a quiet resurgence is under way. He lived in a mental ward along with fifty other patients in Beijing, for many years, but now lives at home.
In 2002, he read at Guangzhou.
In 2008, he read at The World Literature Today Conference, at Beijing Normal University
.
, he wrote the despairing poem "Believe in the future" (xiangzin weilai), which spread like wildfire among the red guard generation:
Other noted poetry from the period, circulated widely in samizdat
fashion, includes Beijing 4:08 PM, about the melancholy of the zhiqing generation youth, leaving their homes for working in the countryside, and Three songs on fish, which captures the perplexity of the youth. His pen name Shi Zhi (index finger) became a byword among the Red Guard youth.
In 1978, amid a brief cultural thaw, Bei Dao
and Mang Ke
, editors of the poetry magazine Jiantian (Today), published some of Guo's poetry.
In the spring of 1979, when the Jiantian group organized China's first private poetry readings in Beijing's Yuyuantan Park, Chen Kaige
(now a prominent film director) recited
"Believe in the Future".
Since the opening up of China, Guo Lusheng is emerging as a literary star from this
period. A collection of his poetry was published in 1998 by the prestigious Writer's publishing Company, mediated by poet and friend Lin Mang. In 2001, he won the People's Literature Prize
He continues to write on themes related to the mental hospital, where he is frequently visited by
his many friends and admirers.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
poet of the 1960s, considered the "founder of the New Poetry movement".
His poems were the first to break with the Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
-style classicist poetry, expressing the "bewilderment of the Red Guard generation". Young readers spread his poems widely in hand-copied form, and he was one of the mascots of the zhiqing generation - educated youth who were sent to the countryside during the cultural revolution. This underground poetry movement continued over the next 30 years, and he inspired several modern movements including the Misty poets
Misty Poets
The Misty Poets are a group of 20th century Chinese poets who reacted against the restrictions of the Cultural Revolution.They are so named because their work has been officially denounced as "obscure", "misty", or "hazy" poetry...
.
Life
Guo Lusheng's father, Guo Yunxuan, was in the Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, and like the wives of many Red Army soldiers, his mother was accompanying the army, when he was born by the roadside during a bitter winter march in 1948. The name Lusheng means "born on the road".
He started writing poetry early, and came into attention of the authorities for his poetry, which were noted for their "bourgeois values" by an admiring teacher at school.
Along with Zhang Langlang and Mu Dunbai, he was a member of the
underground literature group ‘Sun Fleet’, which was broken up in 1966, with many of the members committing suicide or receiving death sentences; Guo himself was arrested and beaten up
Despite being released, he had been branded a "rightist student" and could sense the danger swirling all around him.
During the Cultural revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
in 1968, Guosheng was sent for two years to the Apricot village in Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
. Durint this period he fell in love with the Uyghur
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
girl Lili, and wrote some tragic love poems. Upon his return, he was inducted in the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
, hoping he may be able to get his poetry published. He was given a clerical position, but he became depressed and withdrawn from the oppressive conditions; he was soon discharged.
With all his friends scattered, Lusheng shut himself in his room and became a chain-smoker. Soon thereafter, his father saw that he had drawn a picture of a man with a long knife to his neck, and became concerned that he may be contemplating suicide. The family took him to a mental institution, and since then he has been passing his time shuttling between home and the hospital. Eventually, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
in 1973.
During a reprieve from the mental institution, he met and married Ala Li, the daughter of Li Lisan
Li Lisan
Lǐ Lìsān was an early leader of the Chinese communists, and the top leader of the Chinese Communist Party from 1928 to 1930, member of Polit Bureau, and later member of Central Committee.-Early years:...
, an early leader of the Chinese revolution and ex-minister of labour, who died in mysterious circumstances.
Despite his prominence, Lusheng was largely forgotten in the opening up era, though a quiet resurgence is under way. He lived in a mental ward along with fifty other patients in Beijing, for many years, but now lives at home.
In 2002, he read at Guangzhou.
In 2008, he read at The World Literature Today Conference, at Beijing Normal University
Beijing Normal University
Beijing Normal University , colloqiually known as 北师大 or Beishida, is a public research university located in Beijing with strong emphasis on basic disciplines of humanities and sciences...
.
Poetry
In 1968, in the shadow of the Prague springPrague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
, he wrote the despairing poem "Believe in the future" (xiangzin weilai), which spread like wildfire among the red guard generation:
- When spider webs seal my stove without mercy
- When ember smoke sighs over sad poverty
- I spread out the despairing ashes stubbornly
- And write with fair snowflakes "believe in the future" (transl. Michelle Yeh,
Other noted poetry from the period, circulated widely in samizdat
Samizdat
Samizdat was a key form of dissident activity across the Soviet bloc in which individuals reproduced censored publications by hand and passed the documents from reader to reader...
fashion, includes Beijing 4:08 PM, about the melancholy of the zhiqing generation youth, leaving their homes for working in the countryside, and Three songs on fish, which captures the perplexity of the youth. His pen name Shi Zhi (index finger) became a byword among the Red Guard youth.
In 1978, amid a brief cultural thaw, Bei Dao
Bei Dao
Bei Dao is the pseudonym of Chinese poet Zhao Zhenkai . He was born in Beijing, his pseudonym was chosen because he came from the north and because of his preference for solitude...
and Mang Ke
Mang Ke
Mang Ke , born in 1951, is a prominent Chinese poet and co-founder of the underground literary journal Today, which appeared irregularly between 1978 and 1980 before being shut down by the Chinese Government....
, editors of the poetry magazine Jiantian (Today), published some of Guo's poetry.
In the spring of 1979, when the Jiantian group organized China's first private poetry readings in Beijing's Yuyuantan Park, Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema. His films are known for their visual flair and epic storytelling.-Early life:...
(now a prominent film director) recited
"Believe in the Future".
Since the opening up of China, Guo Lusheng is emerging as a literary star from this
period. A collection of his poetry was published in 1998 by the prestigious Writer's publishing Company, mediated by poet and friend Lin Mang. In 2001, he won the People's Literature Prize
He continues to write on themes related to the mental hospital, where he is frequently visited by
his many friends and admirers.