Chapter 100: A Writer Who Is Never Criticized Is Not a Good Poet

Zhang Chu had never considered himself a poetry enthusiast. He had read only a handful of poems, mostly the most famous ones. After middle school Chinese textbooks, the extent of his exposure to poetry was limited to glimpses through social media or news articles; he had never sought to explore it actively.

Now, he had become a thorn in the side of poets and poetry lovers nationwide, as if his little poem had somehow dragged down the whole standard of Poetry Journal! Yet, the true giants of the poetry world remained silent. Who among them hadn’t penned similar verses in their youth?

In an era when poetry was steadily fading, having young people willing to write poems was a blessing. Moreover, these poems were not only sincere but also stood up to deep scrutiny. The reason modern poetry often seemed like meaningless lamentation was that it lacked profound layers of significance, merely piling up words and images with nothing more to unearth.

Zhang Chu’s poem, “Facing the Sea, with Spring Blossoms,” set against the backdrop of Journey to the West and intertwined with Sun Wukong’s personal journey, reflected thoughts natural to the Monkey King as he embarked on his westward quest. Flower-Fruit Mountain became his spiritual refuge, an ideal homeland. Yet, in Zhang Chu’s “Journey to the West Diary,” Sun Wukong met no happy ending.

Those who read the entire diary and then returned to this poem would feel its sorrow all the more deeply. Like Haizi, in the novel, Sun Wukong chooses to end his own life to regain his memories and remove the golden circlet—a tragic turn that echoes the poem’s opening lines. An indomitable Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, now living in confusion, finds death more freeing than life.

This adapted poem was originally meant to serve the narrative of the entire novel. To discuss it in isolation from the story was nothing short of mischief.

Yet, in this world, Zhang Chu was the only one who had read the entire novel. The “Journey to the West Diary” was a blend of humor and tragedy, revealing new emotions with every reading. Who truly knew the story behind Tang Sanzang bringing the scriptures back to the Tang dynasty? Whether Sun Wukong reached the Vulture Peak or not, official tales claimed the monk and his disciples succeeded together.

The more joyful a work, the more heart-wrenching its twists. Zhang Chu had seen the criticisms but paid them no mind. Time would reveal who was truly shortsighted, and it would not be long before such clarity came. Besides, whether “Facing the Sea, with Spring Blossoms” was a good work was not for these critics to decide; it was a piece recognized worldwide.

***

“Old Ma, I heard your Poetry Journal has been quite the sensation lately?” At the National Symposium of Literary and Art Workers, Liu Feizhang, a renowned domestic essayist, joked familiarly. They had known each other since the last century, both young and fledgling writers then.

Ma Qiwei gave a wry smile, shaking his head. “Sensation? More like being lambasted. Young Zhang’s work is quite good, but people just can’t let go of the Journey to the West and Sun Wukong. Wu Cheng’en’s classic is full of poems, just none modern.”

Liu Feizhang nodded in agreement. “I’ve read that poem too, but it felt like something was left unsaid—like there was more beneath the surface.”

“Modern youngsters think so dynamically. Why does Zhang Chu’s poem seem a bit melancholic?” Yuan Xiu remarked casually, without much thought.

Ma Qiwei listened carefully and replied, “Zhang Chu seems lively, even humorous.”

“That’s not always true. Many comedians and cross-talk performers suffer from depression.”

“Perhaps he wanted to capture Sun Wukong’s mindset. I must say, this portrayal of the Monkey King is quite vivid.”

Here, a group of literary heavyweights gathered, discussing Zhang Chu’s poem. Those out of the loop were baffled—what poem was so hotly debated?

***

“Old Zhang, look at today’s Southern Metropolis Daily! Your Zhang got criticized!” Zhang Bowen had just opened his bookstore when a neighbor from the adjoining shop hurried over with a broom, eagerly alerting him.

“Ah, thanks.” Zhang Bowen bent down to pick up a newspaper tossed through the door’s gap by the early morning deliveryman around six o’clock. Bookstores usually received newspapers, whether to read or sell. Among the pile, Zhang Bowen found the Southern Metropolis Daily his neighbor mentioned.

“It’s on the back page—I’ll find it for you,” Wan Rui said enthusiastically. He had been following Zhang Chu’s news closely; after all, Zhang Chu’s success as a top scholar had significantly raised their property values!

Many superstitious residents of Jiangcheng were asking if Zhang Chu’s family home or their neighbors’ houses were for sale. Being a top scholar’s residence, everyone wanted a share of the glory.

Wan Rui quickly located the page and began pointing out, “These people are so old-fashioned. Your Zhang’s work is excellent.”

Zhang Bowen said nothing, absorbed in reading.

The article, titled “Why Contemporary Poetry Is Always a Joke,” targeted Zhang Chu directly. Author Zhu Ziqing dismissed the poem as mere farce.

[The chaos in the poetry world stems from freedom.

Tasteless plain speech, pear blossom style, and nonsensical verses are not poetry but the poetry sphere’s farce and joke.

Among a century of new poets, botched poems occur frequently. Recently, a young student wrote a so-called poem in gibberish that somehow got published in Poetry Journal, with peers mocking it as not poetry at all.

Defiling classics, ruining masterpieces, distorting Sun Wukong’s image—how can Zhang Chu be called a poet?

Does he understand the tonal patterns, rhyme, or structural transitions?

This ruleless modern poetry holds no literary worth.

…

Now, entering the era of internet media, the curiosity and sensationalism of the press have encouraged the ugliness of new poetry!

Online, netizens ironically praise this worthless poem as amusing and fitting. This is the demise of the times, the decline of poetry!]

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Zhang Chu took the paper from Zhang Bowen and smiled. “Literature is meant to be critiqued. No one writes works universally loved. Writers not criticized are not true poets. This is helping me gain fame.”

Criticism brought attention. Zhang Chu admitted the poem was somewhat controversial. Had it been the original version, it would have been widely praised; the adaptation lost much of its charm.

With the Southern Metropolis Daily’s large circulation, even scandal boosts reputation.

Besides, with so many critics, who was Zhu Ziqing anyway?