Guo Moruo

Guo Moruo (in Chinese 郭沫若) is a Chinese writer of the modern period, as well as a politician. Poet, playwright, historian, scholar specialist in antiquity and one of the founders of the Company creation. He was born in 1892 under the name of Guo Kaizhen in the canton from Leshan, province of the Sichuan and deceased the June 12th 1978.

Biography

Resulting from a family of tradesmen, the course of Guo Moruo starts with a traditional formation at four various schools between 1906 and 1913. A marriage on the initiative of his/her parents is cancelled, before one week is completed. Then, Guo Moruo goes to the Japan in 1914 to dedicate itself to studies of medicine and manages to obtain a diploma of the imperial academy of Kyūshū in 1923. In spite of its success on this field, he will never follow this occupation. After being itself also suitable knowledge in English, German and Latin during this period, its interest attracts it towards the literary field, at the beginning, in 1917, in the form of translations of poems, starting from 1919 by news, which it writes itself.

Publication of its lyric collection Goddesses in 1921 mark its irruption as a poet in the Chinese literature. He is also one of the initiators of literary association Création and uses it as means to present its works to the public. From its origins, it is only not very interested by the new theories and political tendencies, such as the Marxisme. Its political conscience wakes up only in 1924 and in particular in the Expédition of North under the orders of the general Tchang Kaï-chek in 1925 then encourages it to take part, like with the Révolte of Nanchang in 1927, whose failure determines it to be withdrawn with the Japan for the ten years which follow.

Forced to turn over in China following the release of the war, Guo Moruo joint with the forces of opposition via an association of resistance of the artistic and literary creators and a position within the direction of the section of propaganda. When the United front between the communist Kuomintang and the is dislocated, it is transferred to a less important station with the hierarchical level, but more adapted, within sight of its literary talents. Following the divergences between the Communists and the government, and repressions, which they imply, at the end of war with Japan, Guo Moruo is seen obliged to flee with Hong-Kong in 1947, but joined again the armed forces of the Communists one year later.

With the foundation of the Popular republic of China in 1949, the government allots to the stations of assistant of the Prime Minister to him, of president of the Council of the culture and education, and little time after it is also named with the presidency the Academy of Science and, for the remainder of its life, with the direction of the Fédération of the Writers.

The other important stations that it occupies are:

in 1950, presidency of the Chinese section of the World council of peace,
in 1954, the vice-presidency of the National Assembly,
in 1955, the vice-presidency of the World council of peace,
in 1958, presidency of the New scientific and technical University of Beijing,
in 1969, a seat at the Central committee of the Communist party.

Within the framework of its activities, it accompanies many delegations abroad. It is surprising to learn that Guo Moruo, contrary in the majority of his/her colleagues of the literary field, was not worried at the time of the Cultural revolution. One can think that is due to the fact that it had secured the benevolence of the characters the capacity, such as Mao Zedong and Jiang Qing. It accepted in addition the Prix Stalin international for peace in 1951.

Of a second marriage with Sato Komiko, a Japanese nurse, Guo Moruo had five newborns between 1916 and the release of the Sino-Japanese Guerre in 1937, and four children of a third connection with Yu Liqun.

Works

Fiction

Göttinnen, 1921 - Gedichtsammlung (Goddesses - Collection of poems)
Sternenhimmel, 1923 - Gedichtsammlung (starry Sky - Collection of poems)
Wang Zhaojun, 1923 (Drama)
Die Olive, 1926 - Autobiographische Erzählungen (the olive - autobiographical news)
Abgefallene Blätter, 1926 - Briefroman (Falling Sheets - Romance epistolary)
Turm, 1926 - Erzählungen (Turn - News)
Drei rebellische Frauen, 1926 - Drama (Three rebellious women - drama)
Die Vase, 1927 - Gedichtsammlung (vase - collection of poems)
Untersuchungen zur Geschichte of alten Clouded, 1930 (Investigations into the history of China Ancienne)
Die schwarze Katze, 1930 - Autobiography (the black cat - autobiography)
qu Yuan, 1942 - Drama (qu Yuan - drama)
Lied der Wellen, 1948 - Autobiography (Song of the waves - Autobiography)
Zikaden, 1948 - Gedichte (Cicadas - Poems)
Hundert Blumen blühen, 1957 - Gedichte (Hundred flowers flower - Poems)
Cai Wenji, 1959 - Drama (Cai Wenji - Drama)

Translation

Goethe: Die Leiden of Jungen Werther, 1922
Goethe: Faust I. Teil, 1928
Goethe: Faust II. Teil, 1953
Schiller: Wallenstein, 1926
Nietzsche: Also sprach Zarathustra, 1928
Marx: Kritik der Politischen Ökonomie, 1931 (Critical of the Political Economy)
Tolstoi: Krieg und Frieden, 1931

External bonds

Biography on the site chineseliterature.com
Biography on the official site of the Chinese Academy of Science

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