The love and loss of Xu Zhimo as reflected in his poetry

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to observe the strong influence of Xu Zhimo 徐志摩’s romantic relationships and how romantic love was the true muse behind his writings. Romantic love is of specific importance, not love in general. That is to say the love in which passion is paramount and where the other transcends the common to become a being unique in their very essence. It was not believed that any other form of love truly affected the poet’s literature. His friendships seemed to be, at most, a safety net and a comfort, whereas his familial ties, a support and a duty. What is written here is based heavily on the author’s own interpretation of Xu Zhimo’s life according to what had been gathered from his work and biographies. Aside from the historically accurate and proven, nothing written here is claimed to be factual. This write-up largely approaches the works mentioned in as chronological a method as possible, paying attention to the landmarks in his life that were believed to particularly influencesaid pieces. The poems mentioned, in order of appearance, are: A Second Farewell to Cambridge(1928), In Search of A Bright Star(1924), Follow Me(1925), I Know Not In Which Way The Wind Blows(1928), Rhyme of the Sea(1925), Life (1928), Roaming the Clouds(1931). This argument is introduced by briefly covering Xu Zhimo’s life up until his first encounter with Lin Huiyin林徽因, which is suspected to be when the man was consumed by the poet. The thesis leads on to cover the pattern between his love life and his poetry, so as to come to the conclusion that above any philosophical or political ideology, it was his perseverance in the pursuit of an idealistic romance that drove him.