Color Version 60 Poems That Will Influence Middle School Students' Lives

Author: Xu Zhimo, Pushkin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Teach me how to not think of her
Some faint clouds drift in the sky,
A gentle breeze blows on the ground.
Ah! The breeze moves my hair,
Teach me how to not think of her?
The moon loves the ocean,
The ocean loves the moon.
Ah! This honey-like silver night,
Teach me how to not think of her?
Flowers fall slowly on the water,
Fish swim slowly at the bottom.
Ah!What are you saying?
Teach me how to not think of her?
Trees sway in the cold wind,
Wild fires burn in the twilight.
Ah! There are still some lingering clouds in the west,
Teach me how to not think of her?
Author Introduction: Liu Banong (1891—1954) was a native of Jiangyin, Jiangsu, and a prominent figure in China's New Culture Movement. Born into poverty, he dropped out of middle school to join the army out of admiration for the Xinhai Revolution. Later, he worked as an editor in Shanghai. In 1918, he collaborated with Qian Xuantong in a debate about vernacular literature, significantly advancing the vernacular movement. He also once worked as an editor for New Youth. In 1920, he went to London to study at the University of London. In 1921, he transferred to the Sorbonne in Paris to specialize in phonetics and earned a doctorate in literature, becoming a member of the Paris Linguistic Society. In the fall of 1925, he returned to China and became a professor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University. In 1926, he edited the supplement of World Daily and served as the director of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Sino-French University. That same year, the poet published a collection of his poems over the years, including The Pottery Jar (which explored the use of folk song forms) and The Whip Collection. From 1929 onwards, he held various positions, including professor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University, president of the Women's College at Peking University, and vice president of Fu Ren University. In 1954, the poet passed away at a young age.
Analysis of the Masterpiece: This poem was written during the poet's study in Europe in 1920. Perhaps because his beloved was not by his side, or perhaps out of longing for his homeland, accompanied by the scenery, the poet sang the pure love and intense longing hidden in his heart. Initially, the poem was titled Love Song, but the poet soon changed the title to Teach Me How to Not Think of Her. At that time, the poet was far from his homeland, and his heart was filled with a deep attachment to his homeland. Meanwhile, China was in ruins, and the poet's concern for his homeland was beyond imagination. The sky was clear, and the earth was vast. The clouds drifted in the sky, and the gentle breeze stirred the poet's hair, awakening his longing for his homeland and family. Then, the poet sighed, "Teach me how to not think of her?" The rhetorical question intensified his emotions and longing. At night, the silver moonlight shone on the vast sea. In this "honey-like silver night," the poet could not be with his beloved, could not be with the lover in his heart. How did the image of the moon and the ocean, perfectly aligned and inseparable, stir the poet's heart? "Teach me how to not think of her?" Flowers fell slowly on the water, fish swam slowly at the bottom, and swallows danced in the air. Did the flowers worry about the "flowers' intention but the water's indifference"? Did the fish worry about being abandoned by the water because of the swallows' appearance? Perhaps the swallows brought news of his homeland, touching the poet's heart even more deeply, stirring his longing, "Teach me how to not think of her?" The withered trees swayed in the cold wind, and the lingering clouds dyed half the sky red, like wild fires burning. The cold wind and the lingering clouds created a stark contrast, further highlighting the poet's sense of loss and intense longing for his homeland. Amidst his longing, the poet still saw a cold twilight—the lingering clouds. This was a strong contrast, and in the poet's cold heart, it concealed a deep love for his homeland.
Liu Banong's poetry represents the early style of Chinese vernacular poetry. He was also one of the early vernacular poets with a relatively broad creative path. On one hand, he absorbed the characteristics of folk songs or foreign poetry, while on the other hand, he inherited the features and techniques of traditional Chinese poetry—such as the emphasis on creating artistic conception and the use of (metaphor and allusion). For example, in this poem, the beginning of each stanza depicts different scenes to evoke emotions: each stanza creates a beautiful poetic atmosphere, with realistic scenery sparking endless imagination. At the same time, the poet adopted some features of Western lyrical poetry, repeating the lines and expressing strong emotions in vernacular language. Whether in terms of creating artistic conception or in the techniques of expressing emotions, this poem served as a model for later vernacular Chinese poetry and had an inspirational influence on the development of new Chinese poetry. P8-11