Yearning
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相思
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He, Zhongjian. Quan Xin Ying Yi Tang Song Shi Ci Xuan = Chinese Poetry of Tang and Song Dynasties: A New Translation. Tai Bei Shi: Tai Wan Shang Wu, 2012. 45. Print.
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Analysis
This poem is a short poem only with four lines. These simple four lines express the speaker's yearning for his lover. By making red beans as his main subject in this poem, the poet uses 20 words to convey his idea of enduring love.
In ancient Chinese times, red beans symbolise yearning for one's love. It is believed that once there was a woman waiting for her husband to come back from war. Because she thought of him too much, she got sick and died. The tree that grew from her grave was pointed to her husband's direction and grew into a red bean tree. This was the origin story of the red bean tree.
From the first line - Red beans grow in southern countries, we can see that the speaker's lover is currently in the south and he is in the north. The second line creates a link from the first line to the third one. Also, note that this line is the only question in the whole poem. Through this question, the speaker desires the red beans to sprout quickly. His concern towards the growth of red beans is actually a manifestation of his growing missing for his lover. The second stanza is written in an unclear and implicit way to vaguely demonstrate the speaker's strong wish that his lover must not forget him because of the long distance between them. The more the red beans she picks, the deeper and longer her affection feels towards him. So he urges his lover to pick as many as possible. The word 'more' in the third line and the word 'closest' in the fourth line combine together to create an invisible intimacy between the two far-away lovers.
One of the poetic device used is symbolism. The whole poem is focused on red beans. The author used red beans to symbolise his yearning. Another poetic device is alliteration present in the second line. The word sprout and spring both have 'sp' at the beginning, and this gives the reader an expectation that the plants are growing in the beginning of spring. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of ab, cb. This is a 'simple 4-line' rhyme which is often used in Chinese poems.
This speaker's feeling is implicit in this poem. Still, the reader can sense his strong will and his patient waiting through the language, setting and the image of red beans the poet uses. Spring is coming which is obviously full of hope and liveliness. The red beans are ripening and commonly served sweet. Their love is surely about to develop. The sweet mood is almost tangible throughout the whole poem. A long time ago, this poem was already adapted into a beautiful song. Under every red bean tree, I wonder, would the melody resonate in every lover's mind and be warming their hearts?
In ancient Chinese times, red beans symbolise yearning for one's love. It is believed that once there was a woman waiting for her husband to come back from war. Because she thought of him too much, she got sick and died. The tree that grew from her grave was pointed to her husband's direction and grew into a red bean tree. This was the origin story of the red bean tree.
From the first line - Red beans grow in southern countries, we can see that the speaker's lover is currently in the south and he is in the north. The second line creates a link from the first line to the third one. Also, note that this line is the only question in the whole poem. Through this question, the speaker desires the red beans to sprout quickly. His concern towards the growth of red beans is actually a manifestation of his growing missing for his lover. The second stanza is written in an unclear and implicit way to vaguely demonstrate the speaker's strong wish that his lover must not forget him because of the long distance between them. The more the red beans she picks, the deeper and longer her affection feels towards him. So he urges his lover to pick as many as possible. The word 'more' in the third line and the word 'closest' in the fourth line combine together to create an invisible intimacy between the two far-away lovers.
One of the poetic device used is symbolism. The whole poem is focused on red beans. The author used red beans to symbolise his yearning. Another poetic device is alliteration present in the second line. The word sprout and spring both have 'sp' at the beginning, and this gives the reader an expectation that the plants are growing in the beginning of spring. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of ab, cb. This is a 'simple 4-line' rhyme which is often used in Chinese poems.
This speaker's feeling is implicit in this poem. Still, the reader can sense his strong will and his patient waiting through the language, setting and the image of red beans the poet uses. Spring is coming which is obviously full of hope and liveliness. The red beans are ripening and commonly served sweet. Their love is surely about to develop. The sweet mood is almost tangible throughout the whole poem. A long time ago, this poem was already adapted into a beautiful song. Under every red bean tree, I wonder, would the melody resonate in every lover's mind and be warming their hearts?