Ode to the Autumn Breeze
- Poetry of Liu Yuxi
Gone with yellow chrysanthemums last year,
You come back when cicada's song I hear.
Your soughing wakes me from dreams at midnight,
A year's wrinkles are seen in mirror bright.
Steeds missing frontier grass with bristles rise;
Eagles longing for clouds open sleepy eyes.
I'll gaze my fill into the boundless sky;
Though ill, for you I'll mount the tower high.
Composed in Liu Yuxi's later years shortly after returning from exile, this poem reveals an undimmed spirit despite advancing age and physical decline. Using autumn wind as its central motif, the work expresses the poet's unyielding ambition and tenacious pursuit of ideals through personification, scenic depiction, and lyrical expression. The verses convey profound autumnal sensations and steadfast belief in life's vitality, showcasing a dynamic aesthetic that soars with indomitable spirit.
昔看黄菊与君别，今听玄蝉我却回。
五夜飕飗枕前觉，一年颜状镜中来。
马思边草拳毛动，雕盼青云睡眼开。
天地肃清堪四望，为君扶病上高台。
- 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.