Chinese and Japanese Poem Project
Kai McGregor, 1st Period, 4/28/2015
Chinese Poem
2 Shadow Replies
By: T'ao Ch'íen
staying alive makes such sad fools of us?
We long for those peaks of the immortals,
but they're far-off, the roads trail away
early. Coming and going together, we've
always shared the same joys and sorrows.
Resting in shade, we may seem unrelated.
but living out in the sun, we never part.
This togetherness isn't forever, though.
Soon, we'll smother in darkness. The body
can't last, and all memory of us also ends.
it sears the five feelings. But in our
good works, we bequeath our love through
generations. How can you spare any effort?
Though it may be true wine dispels sorrow,
how can such trifles ever compare to this?
Summery/Explanation
I chose this poem because it seemed like an interesting topic and it was one of the few that made complete sense to me.
This poem is a reply to a prior poem which speaks of the inevitability of death and how drinking can ease this pain. Shadow Replies speaks of, again, the inevitability of death but instead focuses on the enjoyment of our lives and the effect of our emotions on others.Literary Elements
Picture
Video
Japanese Peom
Ono Komachi
By: Ono Komachi
Thinking of him,
That he came into my dreams?
Had I known it a dream
I should not have wakened
Summery/Explanation
This poem tells about the want of someone whom the narrator has not told his/her true feelings to.