The Beauty of Chinese Poetry
The Beauty of Chinese Poetry Chinese poetry is considered to be some of the most beautiful poetry in the world. In the poem “In Early Summer Lodging in a Temple to Enjoy the Moonlight” by Po Chu-I the author’s use of nature, the city of Ch’ang-an, and his friendship with the others that join him is truly a symbol of balance from Chinese culture. In this poem Po Chu-I discusses the destruction of beauty and the loss connection with its boundaries. His use of words paints a picture of a beautiful scene that would capture the imagination of any reader. Is Po Chu-I’s poem a clear reflection of Taoism’s views of balance? In this poem Po Chu-I uses nature to reflect the beauty that is missing in the city that he and his friends now live in. In one example, “When the wind has stolen the shadows of new leaves and birds linger on the last boughs the bloom…” the author’s use of nature allow the reader to know that it is early summer when him and his friends go on this journey outside of the city. Also, another example, “And the South-East was still clothed in red…” the author’s use of words along with nature allows the reader to know that it is sunset. With simple use of nature the author has let you know where this takes place, what time of year it is and time of day. Po Chu-I use of nature is a key element of this poem and shows the beauty of nature to the reader. In the city of Ch’ang-an the author and his friends have been trying to get rich and have decided to take a break and leave the city and go to the temple of Tao. In this poem the city represents the destruction of nature and a place where they feel unfulfilled. One example of this is: “In Ch’ang-an, the place of profit and fame, Such moods as this, how many men know?” The author refers to this as a comparison of the city to the beauty of the nature that has been destroyed by the city life. Po Chu-I used the city as the opposite of nature, he even explains how the city is separated from the nature with
Cited: 1. Jackson, Wendell P., Frances Alston, and Linda M. Carter, eds. Humanites In the Ancient and Pre-Modern World. Pearson Custom, 2009. Print.