r e C e n t-s t y l e Sh i P oe t ry : P e n ta s y l l a biC r e gul at eD v e r s e 175
heaven and earth) to the panoramic river scenes and to atmospheric phenomena
(“cloud” and “autumn wind”). The other cluster consists of a series of remarks
about the self: Du Fu as a “homeward traveler,” his sense of failure, his exile and
loneliness, and his determination to achieve his ambitions despite his illness and
aging. While this spatial reading underscores the juxtaposition of the universe
and the self, a temporal reading reveals the poet’s inner process of observation and
contemplation.
Reading the poem line by line, we see a topic + comment construction in all
but the last two lines (thematic table of contents 5.3). In each of the first six lines,
the initial disyllabic segment presents a topic, a broad cosmic image observed
by the poet; the trisyllabic segment, however, introduces a comment induced by
the act of observation. In the opening couplet, the immense universe (“the Jiang
and Han rivers” and “heaven and earth”) induces a pathetic and diminutive self-
image: “homeward traveler” and “worthless scholar.” In the second couplet, the
images of “lone cloud” and “long night” thicken the mood of loneliness and mel-
ancholic brooding, but the ensuing comments signify a slight relief from loneli-
ness through an empathetic joining of man and nature. Like the second couplet
of “Spring Scene,” this second couplet creates the idea of a nature–man empa-
thy through a deft manipulation of syntactic ambiguities. Here, “join” and “share”
imply two or more subjects, but only one is made explicit (“sky” and “moon”). De-
pending on which implicit subject(s) we supply, this couplet lends itself to three
different readings:
A lone cloud and the sky are together faraway,
A long night and the moon share the loneliness.
A lone cloud, and the sky (and I) are together faraway,
A long night, and the moon (and I) share loneliness.
A lone cloud—the sky (and I) are together faraway,
A long night—the moon (and I) share the loneliness.
The coexistence of these three possible readings serves to create a sense of together-
ness in the world—the togetherness of inanimate things and the togetherness of
nature and man. The conception of this pervasive togetherness reveals a lessening
of the poet’s loneliness and prepares us for a rather dramatic “turning” in the third
couplet. The turning is dramatic because of the unusual juxtaposition of “setting
sun” and “autumn wind”—two common images of decay and melancholy—with
a surprisingly positive attitude toward the onset of illness and old age. The setting
sun only spurs the poet to strive for great accomplishments, and the autumn wind
only speeds up his recovery from illness. Echoing this optimistic note, the poem
ends with a metaphorical statement about the true worth of an aging man.
The poet with whom Du Fu is often paired is his friend Li Bai, widely known
as the “poet-immortal” (shixian). Widely hailed as the two greatest Chinese poets,
they are the subject of a continuing debate about which is greater. They have often
been perceived to be diametrically opposite types. Du Fu is sober, earnest, and