LRJ #4

1) In "O Oriole, Yellow Bird" the phrase "I must go back, go home" (Waley World Lit 515,6) is repeated in each stanza. This repetition emphasizes the feeling of longing in the poem, and the speakers desire to return home.

In "What Plant Is Not Faded" the phrase "Alas for us soldiers" (516,7) is used twice. This repetition spotlights the main point of the poem, which is to express the weariness of being a soldier.

2) The overall mood of "Quiet Night Thoughts" is tranquil and serene. Li Po conveys this mood to the audience by using images of falling asleep and dreaming.

3) In "Letters to His Two Small Children" Li Po uses nature imagery to express his solitude and feelings of longing and remorse. "This is the tree I myself put in when I left you, nearly three years past; A peach tree now, level with the eaves, and I sailing cannot yet turn home!" (Waley 11-14). This shows the author's remorse for having left his home and his children. "Oh, to sow now Turtle-shaded fields, Do the Spring things I can never join" (Waley 4-6). This usage of nature imagery emphasizes the author's strong longing to be back home.

4) Letter to Father

Oh Father, here in Wu the spring is beautiful.
The mulberry trees have glorious green leaves.
Your family tends the fields, though it seems like someone is missing.
Your daughter is now a graceful, lovely young woman.
She will be married soon.
Your little son is not so little anymore. He is strong just like his father.
We all miss our father very much.
May the winds blow you back home to us.