Random Poem
- Poetry of Wang Wei
You who have come from my old country,
Tell me what has happened there ! --
Was the plum, when you passed my silken window,
Opening its first cold blossom?
Five-character-quatrain
Wang Wei employs the “cold plum flower” as a symbol. This flower represents objects familiar to him from his hometown and serves to express his homesickness.
Composed during the High Tang period, this work is the second of Wang Wei's "Three Miscellaneous Poems," expressing the profound nostalgia of a long-time wanderer for his homeland. While the entire set shares unified themes, this particular poem stands out for its genuine language and deep emotional resonance. Wang Wei masterfully conveys complex emotions through deceptively simple verses, using immediate scenes and casual encounters to express inner contemplation, achieving his signature artistic realm where "poetry contains painting, and painting embodies feeling."
君自故乡来，应知故乡事。
来日绮窗前，寒梅著花未？
君自故鄉來， 應知故鄉事。
來日綺窗前， 寒梅著花未。
- 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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