Spring Snow
- Poetry of Liu Fangping
The spring wind drives the flying snow,
It swirls and dances high and low.
Where it resembles blossoms fair,
There lies the east of Luoyang there.
This poem was written during the Dali era (766–779 AD) of Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty. Liu Fangping, a mid-Tang poet who achieved little success in his official career, often dwelled in the Chang’an area. His poetry frequently drew from nature and common people’s lives, capturing larger meanings within small scenes to reflect social realities. During the mid-Tang, political instability, heavy taxes, and vast wealth disparities left many in hardship. Against this backdrop, the poem uses the scene of spring snow to contrast the vastly different experiences of the wealthy and the poor, conveying the poet’s deep compassion for the people and his sharp social critique.
飞雪带春风，徘徊乱绕空。
君看似花处，偏在洛阳东。
- 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.
- Seven Poems on Kaiyuan Era: Dancing Horses
- Midnight Song of the Four Seasons: Summer
- In Reply to Pimei’s Poem Written During Illness
- Ten Odes on Tea Utensils: Tea Vale White Lotus
- Spring Thoughts II
- The Arcane Celadon of Yue Kiln
- Lodging by Riverside Tower
- Along the River for Flowers Alone I
- The Cottage by the Stream
- The Lotus-Gathering Song