14.

To Shen Yinmo (Fourth of Four Poems)

A qijue

1939

Chen insists on the relationship between the trend of the times and the spirit and character of poetry. He is also talking about his own life and affairs. Although a hero, he was, by 1939 – after his release from years in jail – an ailing man without connections to any political force, and therefore powerless to deal with the increasingly harsh reality of Chinese politics. He sighs in recognition of the fact that world affairs are shaped by broad structural forces rather than by the efforts of conscientious individuals.

Poetry reached its zenith in the Tianbao reign,

but sadly withered in late Tang.

Arts fall and rise depending on events,

not on the talents of a Su Shi or a Huang Tingjian.

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Title: Shen Yinmo (1883–1971), a close friend of Chen Duxiu, was a poet, calligrapher, and educator.