Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Charles's avatar

You are correct that this poem paid particular attention to parallelism, in fact it could be argued that you understated the degree of parallelism. For example, the grammar of every word of the first two and last two lines are exactly parallel. The first and second lines are, as I read them: adjective, noun, verb, noun, adjective; the third and fourth are: verb, noun, adjective, noun, verb. Meanwhile, the contents of the parallel words are instead meant to contrast, as in the "driving rain" and "rays of the setting sun."

And the tonal pattern of the first and second, and third and fourth lines of this poem, as was the practice for this genre, are mirror images of each other. During the Tang dynasty the 平仄 were probably like this:

仄仄平平仄

平平仄仄平

仄平平仄仄

平仄仄平平

The grammar is strictly parallel, the contents contrast, and the tones are perfect mirror images. This poem attains the highest standard for 五言绝句.

A famous Du Fu scholar of the late Ming dynasty appreciated the juxtaposition of the driving rain and rays of the setting sun. He wrote that it conveyed the immediacy of the changing landscape. And later poets like 陆游 used the exact same words in exactly the same kind of parallel construction. For a poet like Du Fu, I think that combining apparently disparate elements in this manner suggests that he saw poetic connections that people don't see today.

Expand full comment
Tom Watson's avatar

Are you deliberately merging the parallelism at the end there? Should the last two lines be read as part of both parallel sentences? Maybe put them on one line if so to indicate that more clearly.

Expand full comment
5 more comments...

No posts