Writing background:
Since the beginning of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the Japanese invaders have successively occupied vast areas in North China, East China and South China, and they have been raging everywhere in an attempt to destroy the China people's will to resist the Japanese war. The people of China rose up and waged an indomitable struggle. The poet wrote impassioned poems at the critical moment when the country was destroyed and the nation was in danger, with love for the motherland and hatred for the invaders.
Work style:
His poems in this period are always full of "melancholy of the land", and more about the suffering, sadness and resistance of the country and the nation, with a very dignified, profound and atmospheric style.
During this period, the main images in Ai Qing's poems were "earth" and "light". His long poems "To the Sun" and "Torch" express his good wish to drive away darkness, persist in struggle and strive for victory with the help of the sun, so the poet is called the singer of "Sun" and "Torch". These poems are also representatives of free verse, showing the characteristics of conciseness and liveliness, showing a prose and colloquial style. They contain a lot of questions, calls, dialogues and quotations, which greatly enhance the authenticity and expressiveness of poetry.
(2) Main works and characteristics after1978
Writing background:
Ai Qing was wrongly classified as a rightist in 1957 and returned to the poetry circle in 1978. After 20 years of silence, the poet "returned" and his pent-up feelings surged, starting another peak of poetry creation.
Work style:
During this period, the poet "returned" and his poetic style changed greatly. Poetry becomes more neat, more profound and more cautious.
Of course, the poets in this period continued to praise the main theme of light, and wrote a long poem "Ode to Light", praising the magical substance of light, the social civilization brought by beautiful light, and the social justice of "light is as strong as light". The lines between them are full of wisdom and philosophy.
In addition, Ai Qing, who is good at painting, also clearly shows the characteristics of "painting in poetry" in his poetry creation. His poems have bright colors, clear lines, simplicity and solemnity. For example, 1940 wrote a short poem "Children Cutting Grass", which begins with "The sunset turns the grassland red" and ends with "The sickle shining with golden light in the sunset".