Grass
Bai Juyi
Part part plain on grass The grass is spreading out across the plain,
One year one wither flourish Each year, it dies, then flourishes again.
Prairie fire burn not destroy It’s burnt but not destroyed by prairie fires,
Spring wind blow again life When spring winds blow they bring it back to life
Distant fragrance invade old path Afar, its scent invades the ancient road,
Clear emerald meet ruined town Its emerald green overruns the ruined town.
Again see off noble friend go Again I see my noble friend depart,
Crowded full parting feeling I find I’m crowded full of parting’s feelings.
Autumn Air
Li Bai
Autumn wind clear The autumn air is clear,
Autumn moon bright The autumn moon is bright.
Fall leaves gather and scatter Fallen leaves gather and scatter,
Jackdaw perch again startle The jackdaw perches and starts anew.
Each think each see know what day We think of each other- when will we meet?
This hour this night hard be feeling This hour, this night, my feelings are hard.
Bai Juiy’s poetry is about the vitality and resilience of the grass of the prairie. The first 4 lines is all about the grass. In line 6 it says about the scent of the grass in the second person. In line 8 it emulating the sound “cheers” as a joyful or cheerful moment also saying goodbye to the poet’s nobel friend. Also this poetry is saying that during the year the grass died and grow again every year, when the fire comes some of them were still alive and till spring season it will grow beautiful again. He used very easy words in his poetry and we can always catch what he is trying to express to the reader. The important thing of the theme is that he based on the typical story. This poetry compare the grass to human life as it says the scent of the grass refers back to the old time when the family have to go to another country the only thing left that were still the same is the greenness of the grass. Bai juyi express his feelings through the poem using the nature and events that happened during that time.
His poetry is kinda like a love letter to an anonymous girl that he liked. He expresses the beautiful season of Autumn by showing imagery of the bright, clear moon. He also talks about the falling leaves when the kind of a bird starting their new life. In the last two he make a contrast of the sky that it’s clear except their relationship between two lovers that is hard. He is saying that he is not really sure the feelings of her towards him. It’s a confusing love between them.
These two poems refers to the cultural of east asian as they’re really love the nature as they both used the nature as their theme and scenes. Also in Li bai’s poetry, back to the old times in Chinese culture they don’t really make a man and a woman be together during the night time.