Three Tendencies of the Song Poetry and Their Dialectic Movement——Re-reading and rethinking of Mao Zedong's "A Letter To Chen Yi"

Mao Zedong's A Letter to Chen Yi criticizes the Song poetry at the aesthetic height,for he puts forth a famous proposition that poetry must use the thinking images.To take argument for poetry,to take talent for poetry,and to take wording for poetry are the three universal tendencies in the Song poetry.Judging from the aesthetic angle,we see that they exerted aesthetic interest on Song poetry.Judging from the angle of historical poetic changes,we see that they originated from the tradition to take prose for poetry,and that they make a great historical merit to Chinese poetical development.To reveal the historical merit of Song poetry is one of the basic requirements in the new historical conditions.This demands us to treat Mao Zedong's thought of art and literature with an attitude of going forward in tempo with the times.