Guo Shaoyu-A Renowned Literary Theorist
Guo Shaoyu (Chinese:郭绍虞，1893-1984), originally named Xifen and also called Zhaoyu,, with a style name Shaoyu, was a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. In his early years, he studied civil engineering at Suzhou University of Technology (today’s Suzhou Vocational Institute of Industrial Technology). Due to the lack of tuition fees, he had to leave the university and found a job as a journalist writing for Su Journal/News Press, which founded in 1896 in Shanghai and be forced out in 1903. In 1914, he served as a teacher in many schools in Shanghai, among which Shang’gong Experimental Primary School was founded by The Commercial Press. During his teaching period there, he completed and published The History of Sport in China, which was the first book about the history of sports of ancient China. In 1921, Guo, together with Maodun, Zheng Zhenduo, Ye Shengtao and other scholars, established The Literature Research Union. Three years later, he taught in Zhongzhou University in Kaifeng (today’s Henan University) and Zhongshan University in Wuchang (today’s Wuhan University). In 1927, he turned to Yanjing University (today’s Peking University) serving as Professor, Head and one of supervisors for postgraduate students of Department of the Chinese Language. Following the family’s relocation to Shanghai in 1943, he taught and worked as Professor and Head of Department of the Chinese Language in Daxia University, St-John’s University, Guanghua University and Fudan University. (Among them, Daxia University merged with Guanghua University into one university in 1951, that is today’s East China Normal University while St. John's University was closed in 1952 and most of its faculty members, students and library collections were also transferred to the East China Normal University) After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he was Dean of School of Humanities and Law of Tongji University and Professor and Head of School of Chinese Language of Fudan University. Afterwards, he was appointed as one of deputies of Shanghai People's Congress, Vice-Chairman of Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Vice-Chairman of Shanghai Author Association, one of counsellors of the planning section of ancient books of the State Council and Chairman of the society of Theoretical Criticism in Ancient Chinese Literature.
Guo Shaoyu dedicated his life to the instruction and research of Chinese Literature and Language. He once taught at several colleges and universities and students who learned from him have proved to be talents. The book A History of Chinese Literary Criticism he authored served as a distinguished textbook for Chinese college students. Guo Shaoyu used to admonish the scholars of younger generation: To engage in scholarship is like to lay the foundations of a tower. If the foundation is weak, work on building the tower will never be complete. Likewise, if the young scholars seek for instant success without a strengthened foundation of knowledge, these scholars will end up eating their bitter fruit. Guo Shaoyu did many researches in the field of Chinese grammar rhetoric as well. He held the opinion that scholars who conduct research of Chinese grammar should break the conventions and combine the Chinese characteristics with the practical application of Chinese language. His opinion can be summarized as ‘Making the past serve the present and adapting foreign academic views for China use.’ Guo Shaoyu stressed that the research of Chinese grammar must be combined with rhetoric and logic for practical significance. With no outstanding backgrounds, Guo Shaoyu was a self-taught student. He has been learning the sea for 70 spring and autumn. Through his 70 years’ academic career, Guo Shaoyu was well-known for his academic achievements and the epitome of a hardworking scholar for the following scholars.
Guo Shaoyu authored many books during his lifetime including A History of Chinese Literary Criticism, A History of Chinese Classic Literary Theory, Chinese Language in General, A Collection of Song Poetry, A New Approach to Chinese Grammar and Rhetoric, A Compilation of Classic Literary Articles of Zhao Yu, Collected Works of Guo Shaoyu and so on. He also edited Chinese Selected Works Through the Ages.
