Why Did a Simple Critique of Mao Zedong's Poetry Cause Such Uproar Among the Left?

After this young lady's "An Objective Evaluation of Mao Zedong's Poetry" was posted yesterday, it caused a great commotion among the left. This was originally a perfectly normal literary critique, so why did the left react so strongly? Simply because in their hearts, Mao Zedong is a god who cannot be critiqued. All their talk of "the people" and "equality" breaks down when it comes to Mao Zedong. Is Mao Zedong really above criticism? Merits and faults through the ages are for all to judge -- Mao Zedong is no exception.

This young lady made it very clear in her post that she opposes both "those who praise him to the heavens and those who bash him into the ground." Is Mao Zedong really the greatest poet in all of Chinese history, as the Strong Nation leftists believe? ("Mao Zedong's poetry is so majestic it swallows mountains and rivers; no poet in history can compare" [Fei Fei Fei Qu], posted at 2003-06-24 11:22:59.) Mao Zedong himself would never have dared to think so. Look at Mao Zedong's own words: "I have never studied five-character regulated verse, nor have I ever published a single one." And: "I see that in this art, you are the same as me -- neither of us has yet entered the gate. I have occasionally written a few seven-character regulated verses, but not one of them satisfies me. Like you with free verse, I know a little about the art of ci lyrics in long and short lines." (Letter to Chen Yi) It seems Mao Zedong himself was quite clear-headed. Objectively, his ci lyrics are indeed better than his shi poems.

As for this young lady saying some of Mao Zedong's poems are too doggerel-like, some people disagree. Let me cite a few examples:

Where there are fields and land, all are my lords; lawless and heavenless are your people. In Chongqing every official is a corrupt clerk; in Yan'an no soil is not gold. Blasting bridges and digging roads is called unity; seizing land and fighting for cities is called struggle. Cries of sorrow and blood cover the whole ground, all in the name of saving the common people. Seven-character regulated verse, "Recalling the Chongqing Negotiations," autumn 1942.
Three climbs up North High Peak, and Hangzhou opens in emptiness at one glance. Trees by Flying Phoenix Pavilion, wind over Peach Blossom Ridge. In heat, seek a fan; in cold, face a beauty. One drifting piece descends, welcomed by late orioles. Five-character regulated verse, November 1959.

Critique: The rhyme is wrong.

Humanity now has gone into outer space, yet I grieve not to see the five continents united. On the day when Foolish Old Man sweeps away the ravenous mosquitoes, at public memorial do not forget to inform Old Man Ma. Seven-character quatrain, 1958-12-21.
Mountains and ravines all rush toward Jingmen; where Lin Biao was born there is still a village. Once gone from Purple Terrace into northern desert, only the green mound remains facing dusk. Seven-character quatrain, after September 1971.

Critique: Pure doggerel using earlier poets' verses. The former borrows from Lu You, the latter uses only half of Du Fu's poem.

Opposing the Soviets, I recall the old uproar of croaking frogs; delighted to see today's grand anti-China clamor. Evil fiends with rotten hearts stir up the drumming; vicious gods open mouths and spit mist-clouds. How could the Divine Land hold only a thousand miles of evil? The Red County always hid ten thousand forms of perversity. Search all the globe for aggressors -- only this lone household remains. Seven-character regulated verse, "Reflections on Reading the News," 1959.
Trotsky returns to his old residence; neither war nor peace -- what exactly is intended? From blue clouds drifts down a speaking bird; in the Black Sea churns up an angry fish. At Elysee Palace lips turn black; inside Camp David rouge is applied. News appears year after year in ordinary fashion; only this year comes out especially strange. Seven-character regulated verse, "Reflections on Reading the News."

Critique: Pure doggerel.

Additionally, Mao Zedong's complete poetic works contain many pieces labeled "rhymed verse," presumably because the editors could not in good conscience call them proper poetry or lyrics. So this young lady's statement that Mao Zedong's poetry "in terms of quality, since some are overly doggerel-like, those that truly meet the basic requirements of classical poetry number fewer than around 50, and those worthy of being passed down through the ages are around 30" is well-founded. Some people invoke Zhang Ruoxu as a counterargument. Let this young lady say very seriously: in terms of pure poetry (setting aside political factors), Mao Zedong does not have a single work that reaches the realm of Zhang Ruoxu's "Spring River Flower Moon Night" -- that is the poem of poems, the finest of the finest. The value of Mao Zedong's poetry can be clearly defined: his ci lyrics hold a position in the bold and unconstrained school roughly comparable to Cao Cao's position in four-character verse, though still with a gap. As for his shi poems, they are rather ordinary. As cited above, Mao Zedong himself was very clear about this. Yet some people, driven by some special psychology, insist on inflating his status.

A person can of course become an enduring poet on the strength of just a few works, but absolutely cannot become a super-first-rate poet on the basis of a small number of works alone. In Chinese history, those who can truly be called super-first-rate number only the following: Qu Yuan, Tao Yuanming, Li Bai, Du Fu, and Su Shi. Slightly below these five are: Wang Wei, Li Shangyin, Han Yu, Bai Juyi, Huang Tingjian, Lu You, and Xin Qiji. This young lady ventures to say: those who elevate Mao Zedong to the rank of China's greatest poet are not only insulting Chinese poetry but also insulting Mao Zedong -- they are the true parasites. Mao Zedong not being the greatest poet in no way diminishes his brilliance in military and political affairs. Those who scheme to manufacture a god -- what are their true intentions?