Commentary on Li Shangyin's Poems

Author: Liu Xuekai
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-02-12
Features: The tragic times, family background, and personal fate shaped Li Shangyin's tragic character, temperament, and mindset. He was sharp and delicate, melancholic and sensitive, introspective and lingering. He often had an acute awareness of the tragic fate of the era and life. Faced with the An Lushan Rebellion, he thought of the declining destiny of the Tang Dynasty with its thorny and rusted chariots; upon failing the Hongbo examination, he lamented, "A year's worth of vitality belongs to floating dust." He often revealed the essence of life's tragedy through layers of insight: "At birth, one longs for completeness in vain, sorrowful though it may be, not necessarily that when round, there is already affection"; "If there were a world within the pot, I'd still grieve separation there"; "Unknown how much dance and song can endure, the palace is reduced for slender waists"; "Don't play 'Flowers Falling' before the wine cup, for the cool wind only blows at the western end of the hall." He was exceptionally sensitive yet deeply attached. Politically, he lacked even the basic qualifications for participation, yet harbored a grand ambition to redeem the world; feeling the environment cold, he still remained sincere even amidst the corpses; knowing his love pursuits were futile, he still persisted in his pursuit. In the midst of apparent despair, he sought a sliver of comfort, even savoring the beauty within profound and pervasive sorrow. "The silkworm spins until death, its silk ends only when the candle burns," might be seen as a reflection of his tragic character and mindset. His personality had a bold and heroic side, evident in poems like "Offering to the Governor of Hongnong as a Substitute for the Imperial Secretary," "Listening to the Drums," and "Spontaneously Composed in a Series of 72 Lines in Changing Rhyme for Four Roommates." However, the oppression of his environment and the torment of his fate made him introspective and reserved, unable to openly express his inner conflicts and pains, which he channeled into poetry: "You have your own sorrows, let me convey them through this."
As a poet concerned with political realities and the fate of his nation, Li Shangyin inherited Du Fu's spirit of feeling for the times and sorrow for the country, composing many political poems with profound content and a somber, stirring style. Works like "The Tang Army Moves East," "Two Poems of Reflection," "Deep Reflection," "Qujiang," "A Hundred Lines Written While Passing Through Western Suburbs," "The Princess of Shou'an's Marriage," "The Road to Huaiyang," and his poems dedicated to and mourning Liu Kuan are masterpieces that deeply capture the essence of Du Fu's style, covering political issues such as the tyranny of regional commanders and the chaos caused by eunuchs. "A Hundred Lines Written While Passing Through Western Suburbs" is an epic that reflects the rise and fall, governance and turmoil of the Tang Dynasty over two hundred years since its founding, and its underlying causes, standing unmatched among late Tang poets. Wang Anshi even believed that "Among Tang poets who learned from Du Fu and grasped its essence, only Li Shangyin succeeded in doing so" (as cited in The Fisherman of Tiao River's Conversations from Tao Xi, quoting Cai Kuanfu's Poetic Discourses). However, in terms of artistic originality, his series of historical poems that reflect on the present through the past undoubtedly better represent his artistic achievements.
His historical poems are marked by outstanding topical satire, typicality, and lyrical expression, with their directed at the licentious, extravagant, and ignorant rulers who led to the downfall of their nations, serving as cautionary tales, analogies, and satirical critiques of contemporary monarchs. They are political satirical poems that emerged under the specific conditions of the late Tang era, taking the form of historical reflection. He skillfully employs various artistic means of typification, including a degree of imagination and fiction, to transcend historical constraints, making the characters, events, and scenes in his poems more typical while emphasizing the depth and charm of emotion, achieving a perfect blend of profound insight, sharp satire, and subtly veiled lyrical lament. His historical poems not only reveal the character and soul of their satirical targets but also reflect the poet's own spirit and personality, with his ridicule and mockery of licentious rulers.