Melancholetta

i hope u all enjoyed the poems i posted-

this one is really small- it comes froma collection of translations of poems by 3 chiinese poets that seth did as his phd thesis - this one is originally by a poet called Li Po

In the Quiet Night

The floor before my bed is bright:
Moonlight - like hoarfrost - in my room.
I lift my head and watch the moon.

I drop my head and think of home.


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this is a review that some one wrote about this poem...

I came across this poem years ago in Seth's volume "Three Chinese Poets" which I began reading more from a love of Seth than any great interest in Chinese poetry. What I love about this poem is its sparseness, something that Li Po shares with other Chinese poets, and which I think has to do with a culture where emotional restraint is encouraged. Yet this quatrain is an example of just how much loneliness can hide behind a facade of serenity. The poem resembles the Chinese script itself - a minutely detailed painting brought to life with a few deft strokes.

love
chitra