Yang Mu Dies Aged 79

Hello Gentle Reader

Yang Mu was one of the most important Taiwanese writers of the late Twentieth Century and early Twenty-First Century, becoming one of the most important and revolutionary voices in modern Chinese language literature. Yang Mu’s extensive knowledge and reading into classical Chinese literature and poetic forms provided him a solid grasp of the beautiful intricacies of the language, its rich literary history, and its traditions through the ages. Yet it was Yang Mu’s own innovation in form and style, which gathered him the greatest attention as a literary heavy weight. At university years, Yang Mu discovered the romantic English poets: William Wordsworth, John Keats, Lord Byron, and Percy Byshee Shelly. Academically, Yang Mu studied in Taiwan, and pursued graduate studies in the United States of America. His stay in the United States changed Yang Mu’s poetic vision as a poet, moving him away from his early romanticism and sentimental poetry, and instead taking a more serious concern with social realities, politics, and the human condition. His later poetry was more reserved, calm, and philosophical profound, continuing to give praise to ancient Chinese literary traditions, while also becoming an innovative influence on contemporary trends, innovations, and explorations of literary forms in contemporary Chinese language poetry and literature. As a poet, Yang Mu disregarded poetic pyrotechnics and pretentious pontificating forms, in favour of grace, humanism, and contemplation. Yang Mu’s work could have been described as chimeric in form, at once acknowledging the lengthy literary history of Chinese literature, while on the other hand taking influence from western poetic traditions. He was promoted by the later Swedish Academy member and renowned Sinologist Goran Malmquist as being one the greatest poets of the Chinese literary form (Malmquist happened to be his translator as well); it was often rumored that Malmquist often brought Yang Mu’s name up in Swedish Academy deliberations as a potential Nobel Laureate in Literature. Sadly, however, Yang Mu died last Friday after being admitted to the hospital, suffering from respiratory and cardiovascular difficulties. He slipped into a coma after being admitted, and did not awaken from it, and died peacefully at the age of 79.

Yang Mu was a first degree poet, a profound humanist thinker, never wavering from praising the human soul for its resilience. Mu’s poetic forms acknowledged and gave homage to the historical beauty of Chinese literature, while also opening it up to Western forms, ideas, themes, and styles, while never losing its sense of self, identity, or cultural inclinations. His death is a sad shock to the poetry world, and the literary community. Yang Mu was perhaps one of the most important, influential, and non-political poet of Chinese language literature.

Rest in Peace, Yang Mu.

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader

Take Care

And As Always

Stay Well Read

M. Mary