Selected Prose of Zhu Ziqing

Author: Zhu Ziqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: The poetic and picturesque beauty of "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" has charmed and been celebrated by generations of readers. Whenever Zhu Ziqing is mentioned, few are unfamiliar with "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond." The lyrical style that blends emotion with scenery and the delicate narrative charm deeply influenced the creation and development of Chinese prose. "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" presents before us a tranquil night scene with lotus and moon, embodying the author's boundless reflections and unshirkable emotions. The author generates emotions from the scenery and expresses them through it. Right from the beginning, the text describes the author's "restlessness in the heart." From a state of unease to a quest for tranquility, from longing for lotuses to gazing at them, the author yearns for a peaceful and free world. "Tranquility" is precisely the state the author desires. The author repeatedly emphasizes the "restlessness in the heart," and in this heavy and melancholic atmosphere, the pursuit of tranquility reveals the author's painful intellectual journey.
"Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" was written in July 1927, shortly after the failure of the Great Revolution. The harsh realities of the struggle plunged the author into extreme distress and confusion, naturally leading to "restlessness in the heart." The text depicts the tranquility of the path, the solitude of the walk, the stillness of the lotus pond, and the serenity of the moonlight. It also contrasts these with the clamor of cicadas and frogs, the folk custom of picking lotus in Jiangnan, and the lively scenes of lotus picking described in the "Ode to Lotus Picking," evoking the profound truth that "the louder the cicadas chirp, the quieter the forest; the more the birds sing, the more serene the mountain." Through this layer upon layer of contrast, the "restlessness in the heart" is highlighted, culminating in the poignant line—"This makes me finally think of Jiangnan." It subtly and deeply reveals the cause of the "restlessness," yet the pursuit and failure of Jiangnan life bring frustrations and anxieties that no tranquility can heal. Tranquility can only be a "stolen moment of leisure," and this leisure amidst the fragrant, cool moonlight over the lotus pond reflects the author's yearning to break free from worldly bonds and transcend material concerns. Though the author seeks tranquility, his heart remains restless, leading him to crave it even more. The lotus pond and moonlight thus become an expression of his upright, serene, and optimistic nature.
The essence of nature is rich, and human emotions are diverse. If people can perceive the world, and objects can convey understanding, then the harmony between humans and nature itself carries a certain charm. In "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond," the author seems to remain unchanged, yet the reader always senses his noble and upright character spreading through the boundless "tranquility" of the lotus pond and moonlight, enveloping the lush leaves and gentle streams. The text employs various rhetorical devices. In addition to the contrast between tranquility and restlessness and the metaphorical comparison of lotuses to human character mentioned earlier, there are frequent uses of similes and antitheses when describing leaves, small flowers, and moonlight. It is also worth noting that Zhu Ziqing's use of reduplicated words in his prose is particularly distinctive: "winding and winding," "lush and lush," "tall and tall," "thin and thin," "quiet and quiet," "dense and dense," "gentle and gentle," "far and near," "high and low," and "vague and vague."