Yearning
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
《三五七言· 秋风词》This work exemplifies Li Bai's masterful command of the 3-5-7-character poetic form. While not its inventor, Li Bai elevated this structure to paradigmatic status through universal emotional resonance and artistic refinement. Set against an autumn night's temporal backdrop, the poem seamlessly synchronizes subtle natural movements with profound human emotions, tracing a complete psychological journey from scene-inspired sentiment to direct expression, culminating in philosophical contemplation.
Fresh autumn breeze,
Bright autumn moon.
Fallen leaves gather and scatter around the trees;
Cold-stricken crows soon fall asleep and wake as soon.
I long for you. When can I see you? On which day?
How can I bear this lonely night? What can I say?
秋风清，秋月明，
落叶聚还散，寒鸦栖复惊。
相思相见知何日？此时此夜难为情！
- Why Chinese poems is so special?
- The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
- How to read a Chinese poem?
- Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.
- A Song of the Spring Palace
- Poems on Army Life IV
- Poems on Army Life V
- West Palace, Autumn
- Hearing the River-Song
- The Lotus Gatherers