Memories at Jinling
- Poetry of Liu Yuxi
The tide overwhelms the forge's site,
The tower drowned in slanting sunlight.
The islet covered with grass green,
And hills are veiled by a smoke screen.
Man decides a state's rise and fall,
Hills and streams can do nothing at all.
O hear the captive ruler's song!
How can you bear his grief for long?
This poem was written in the third year of the Baoli era (827) during the Tang Dynasty when Liu Yuxi, returning from Hezhou to Luoyang, passed through Jinling. He wrote this poem there, describing the spring scenery of Jinling while reflecting on the rise and fall of the Six Dynasties, triggered by historical relics. The poet not only reviews the past history but also hints at his concerns over the political corruption of the Tang Dynasty.
潮满冶城渚，日斜征虏亭。
蔡洲新草绿，幕府旧烟青。
兴废由人事，山川空地形。
后庭花一曲，幽怨不堪听。
- 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.