Classic and Contemporary Poetry
PRUNING TREES, by PO CHU-YI Poet's Biography First Line: Trees growing - right in front of my window Last Line: But better still, -- to see the green hills! Alternate Author Name(s): Bai Juyi; Bo Juyi; Po Chu-i; Lo T'ien; Jyu-yi Subject(s): China - Tang Dynasty (618-905); Trees | ||||||||
TREES growing -- right in front of my window; The trees are high and the leaves grow thick. Sad alas! the distant mountain view Obscured by this, dimly shows between. One morning I took knife and axe; With my own hand I lopped the branches off. Ten thousand leaves fall about my head; A thousand hills come before my eyes. Suddenly, as when clouds or mists break And straight through, the blue sky appears; Again, like the face of a friend one has loved Seen at last after an age of parting. First there came a gentle wind blowing; One by one the birds flew back to the tree. To ease my mind I gazed to the South East; As my eyes wandered, my thoughts went far away. Of men there is none that has not some preference; Of things there is none but mixes good with ill. It was not that I did not love the tender branches; But better still, -- to see the green hills! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE PROBLEM OF DESCRIBING TREES by ROBERT HASS THE GREEN CHRIST by ANDREW HUDGINS MIDNIGHT EDEN by JOSEPHINE JACOBSEN REFLECTION OF THE WOOD by LEONIE ADAMS THE LIFE OF TREES by DORIANNE LAUX MADLY SINGING IN THE MOUNTAINS by PO CHU-YI |
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