Symbolism in Chinese Poetry: Wang Wei's Bound Home to Mount Song

[sunemai]

Time: 2011
Location: China/Europe

What is the symbolism (if any) of Wang Wei's (699-759 AD) poem Bound Home to Mount Song? Would it be considered a sad/happy poem about traveling home or is it an allegory for something? Is this poem widely known in China or is it more in the "neverheard" category?

To be specific, I need to know how the poem would be

Comments

[randomstasis]

These two give a short summary of his work in general, and link to several more specific texts;
http://www.poetryconnection.net/poets/Wang_Wei
http://www.poetseers.org/the_great_poets/ch/wang_wei/

[sunemai]

Thanks for the links! I had already read the Poetry Connection page, but had somehow missed the Poet Seers page. They give a nice summary of Wang Wei's work.

[frostoria]

I don't know if the average Chinese knows this poem, but it's classic enough to have its own page on the Baidu encyclopedia: http://baike.baidu.com/view/383292.htm
You can do a quick Google translate to get the basic idea, because I have to go soon and don't have time to translate. If you can wait a bit, I'll see if I can offer a bit more insight.

One thing though: the 'home' doesn't refer to his usual home, but to his dwelling in the mountains as a hermit. So don't think of it as a happy homecoming poem.

[frostoria]

Okay, a more in-depth analysis. It's not an allegory for anything, but it's not merely about painting a picture of his journey either. The poem reveals his emotional state as he goes along the path back to his home in the mountains. First he calmly admires the scenery, but then his mind turns to disappointment and despair (the reason he became a hermit is his disapproval of the political state at the time), and finally he makes up his mind to separate himself from the rest of the world.

I don't know if that helps, but there you go.

[sunemai]

It helps tremendously, I assure you. Your analysis is excellent and gives a good explanation of what the poem is understood to be about.

Additionally, it's a lot clearer than what GoogleTranslate made the site out to be. ;D (for example: "thirty-four empathy in the matter, imagery Lichtung, fifty-six focussed on the scene, feeling strong." - or my personal favorite: "Poet free to write to, but no traces of chisels, but too delicate and refined essence." It's almost understandable. :D)

Thank you for taking the time to translate the site, too. You have been of great help.

[evilstorm]

Not an allegory, and...a complicated poem. Not merely happy or sad. He's going back to a peaceful hermit life of leisure where he'd be unfettered by duty or troubles, and there's some pleasure in that. He's kind of looking forward to it. But he's definitely also frustrated and bitter at having to do this and at not really having a choice in the matter; he sounds a bit fatalistic and very melancholy. He chooses at the end to retire and close his doors and (politely) decline guests; it's closure in that he's putting the world behind him, but it's not all that positive.

As a sidenote, the translation is happier than the original. In the first line the imagery of the confusing wild growth of the bushes (brushland, really) is lost, which is kind of important because I think it's meant to reflect his own paradoxical feelings. And the desolation of the ruined surroundings is downplayed somewhat. It's just language idiosyncrasy, but I figured that might be useful to point out.

Lastly, he was heavily Buddhist-influenced, not Taoist.

[sunemai]

This is exactly why poetry should always be read in the language it was originally written in. How I wish I knew Chinese!

Thank you for your explanation! It's incredible and opens several new layers in the poem. Seriously, you are amazing - if you ever publish a book/blog/website/something where you explain Chinese poetry, inform me of it, please. I'm starting to think, though, that this poem is so complicated that it would turn a quick remark into a very, very long monologue.

...I'm pretty sure the page I picked that from said Taoist, but I could have confused it with something else (or the fact that Mount Song has symbolic meaning in Taoism if I have understood correctly). Thanks for the correction - I'll mark in my notes that the influence was Buddhist, not Taoist, just in case I'll mention it in the story.

[fay]

Average Chinese? Depends on where he went through school, the quality of his education, and the quality of his parents' education. Any child who could go to EU to study (be it on scholarship or because his family has money) would have to have been well-educated, which means that a) he could definitely read classical Chinese -- those that he had been taught to read at least; b) he may have used modern translations (found online or in books, as such do exist) to study classical Chinese; and c) he would likely be somewhat familiar with Wang Wei (he's a Big Name Poet) and could probably even recite a poem or two, along with the Accepted Modern Translation and its meaning.

Depending on the type of person he is, he might have no opinion of the poem save that what was necessary to pass the test ("it is a good poem"), or he may have a strong opinion of the poem. Keep in mind that most of secondary schooling in mainland China is memorisation in preparation for examinations, including opinions on literature.

[sunemai]

Thank you for pointing out that languages tend to change with time and use - anyone but me would have been smart enough to take this into account. I completely forgot that the poem was written some 1300 years ago and that the language is probably nigh impossible to read for someone speaking modern Chinese without doing some extensive studying first. I'll try to find out how different the language is, but following your estimation, I'll add "ability to read (at least) a bit of classical Chinese" to his skill set. It's also good to know that he likely would have heard of Wang Wei (I had gotten the impression that the guy himself was well-known but wasn't sure whether it was as a painter or as a poet).

Also, thanks for the information on the type of schooling in China. I'll have to take that into account.

[fay]

The language thing is a complicated issue. :) Classical Chinese was used to write all Chinese writing until the early 1900s, so for most educated people -- at least up to then -- something written 1300 years ago would still be comprehensible. In mainland China, only the vernacular being taught in school started in around 1949 (with the formation of the PRC), although it's now a part of most children's curriculum. Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan use a written Chinese that is more influenced by Classical Chinese than the mainland as well, so people from those areas will find it easier to understand. (Additionally, people from those areas are more likely to follow traditional religions, whose texts will all be written in Classical Chinese.) Still, as long as the character were educated through secondary (high school) in mainland China, he should have a good idea of the poem. :)

[zydee]

No answers, but that sounds similar to poetry in The Clouds Should Know Me By Now, a collection of poetry from Buddhist monks from that general timeframe. It's simply beautiful stuff. Good luck, OP :)

[sunemai]

Thanks!

The book looks really interesting - if the local library doesn't have it, I guess I now know what I'll buy myself for Christmas... ;D