Zhongshan Impromptu
- Poetry of Wang Anshi
Ravine water hushes through bamboo veins,
West-bamboo flora stages spring's soft drama.
Thatched eaves face me all day—
A bird's withheld cry carves deeper hush.
Composed around 1076 after Wang Anshi's resignation as chancellor and retirement in Jiangning, this poem emerges from a period of political reversal. Having twice ascended to and descended from power, with his reform efforts thwarted and political adversaries surrounding him, the poet withdrew to Zhongshan Mountain (also known as Jiangshan or Purple Mountain), a scenic area near Jinling. There he built a study, associated with mountain monks, and lived a life of quiet simplicity. His late-period poetry often depicts mountain landscapes with serene and ethereal imagery, expressing transcendental detachment while subtly revealing cool observation and contemplation of reality. This poem stands as a representative work from this phase of his life.
涧水无声绕竹流，竹西花草弄春柔。
茅檐相对坐终日，一鸟不鸣山更幽。
- 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.
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