Hard to see you
- Poetry of Li Shangyin

Seven-character-regular-verse

Li Shangyin was a complex poet whose writing consisted of mysterious yet elegant references to nature and inanimate objects. In this particular poem that purposely remains untitled, Li alludes to a forbidden love affair that tugs on the heartstrings of his audience. The first seven words evoke a sense of inescapable sadness: even when the lovers manage to meet each other, they feel a sense of impending doom at the thought of their eventual departures.

The next few lines portray Li’s cunning ability to weave together nature and romance. The feeble East wind and the shriveled flowers depict the ill conditions of the two lovers; because each encounter between them is filled with an atmosphere of melancholy, they are unable to fully enjoy the passions of their love affair and are slowly crippling from a fear of impending doom that lies within their minds. The image of a silkworm that works itself to death and a candle that is consumed by its own tears further the idea of the lover’s consuming passion for his beloved. The demise of the silkworm and the melting of the candle confirm the tragic underpinnings of this poem.

Moreover, the juxtaposition between 晓 (morning) and 夜 (night) demonstrates that throughout the entirety of the day, the lover undergoes despair, whether it be watching his black hair turning white in the morning, or solemnly weeping to the moon at night. The last two phrases allude to mystical objects: 蓬山 is a mythical mountain where fairies reside, while 青鸟 is the blue bird that acts as a messenger for the queen that resides in the Fairy Mountain. Ultimately, the lover convinces himself that he will remain in close contact with his beloved due to the constant messages they send to each other through the blue bird.