Wen I-To

Born Nov. 2, 1899, in Hupei Province; died July 15, 1946, in K’unmin. Chinese poet, literary scholar, and publicist. Born into a landowner’s family.

Wen I-to graduated from the University of Peking and studied literature and painting in the USA. After returning to his native land, he taught literature courses at Chinese universities. He published antigovernment articles. Wen I-to began to publish his works in 1916. His collections of verses The Red Candle (1923) and Dead Water (1928) were written under the influence of the English romantics. His poetry is distinguished by its high craftsmanship and innovation in form, and it played a large role in the development of modern Chinese literature. He studied the art of T’ien Chien, Chinese mythology, and the major works of ancient culture. His work on the texts of the Shih Ching and Ch’u tzu (Ch’u strophes) was a valuable contribution to Chinese textual criticism.