闻一多对俞平伯《冬夜》的严厉批评及其原因

Wen Yiduo's Attack on Yu Pingbo's Winter Night

闻一多对俞平伯《冬夜》进行严厉批评,认为其构造横里伸张,句法简单,幻象和情感缺失,是"谬误的主义"作祟的结果。严厉批评《冬夜》的根本原因是俞平伯过分追求诗之善的社会价值,闻一多则追求诗之美的艺术价值,直接原因则是代表新崛起的清华"为艺术"唯美派和已享盛名的"为人生"功利派的抗衡。闻一多的严厉批评固有极端之嫌,但俞平伯贱视甚或抛弃艺术的诗作实践更应反思。随着岁月流逝,《冬夜》只剩有文学史价值,然而《红烛》,尤其是《死水》却兼具文学价值。这就昭示:虽然文学向善和向美并不矛盾,但其首要还是文学的审美性。只有发现不足并且批判,文学创作才能前进并且发展。闻一多有这向诗坛挑战的开端,才有他留学归国羽翼丰满后倡导《诗的格律》、引领格律诗作为唯美方向的潮流,终于成就他在中国现代文学史的地位。

Wen Yiduo attacked Yu Pingbo＇s Winter Night fiercely for its absence of imagination and emotion. Their differences lied in that Yu Pingbo focused on the social values of poetry while Wen Yiduo held high of the artistic values of poetry, which showed the conflicts between the newly--born Qinghua school of art--for--art＇s sake and the well--estab- lished utilitarian school. Wen Yiduo＇s attack went to extremes to some extent, and Yu Pingbo＇s contempt for works of art should also be reflected. With the passage of years, Winter Night is left only for its historical value, while Red Can- dle and Stale Water are still appreciated for their literary values. This reveals that literature has its social function and ar- tistic function, and they are not contradictory. Furthermore＇ the artistic function or aesthetics should be on the top priori- ty. Only through criticism can literary creation well develop. Wen Yiduo was brave to challenge the well--established util- itarian school and ushered metrical poetry to art--for--art＇s sake school, and in this way he established his position in Chinese literary history.