Six Records of a Floating Life (Chapter one: Wedded Bliss 06)

    One day Yun asked me, "Of all the ancient authors, which one should we regard as the master?" 

And I replied, "Chankuots'eh and Chuangtzu are noted for their agility of thought and expressiveness of style, K'uang Heng and Liu Hsiang are known for their classic severity, Ssuma Ch'ien and Pan Ku are known for their breadth of knowledge, Han Yu is known for his mellow qualities, LiuTsungyuan for his rugged beauty, Ouyang Hsiu for his romantic abandon, and the Su's, father and sons, are known for their sustained eloquence. There are, besides, writings like the political essays of Chia Yi and Tung Chungshu, the euphuistic prose of Yu Hsin and Hsu Ling, the memorandums of Loh Chih, and others more than one can enumerate. True appreciation, however, must come from the reader himself." 

"The ancient literature," Yun said, "depends for its appeal on the depth of thought and greatness of spirit, which I am afraid it is difficult for a woman to attain. I believe, however, that I do understand something of poetry." 

"Poetry was used," I said, "as a literary test in the imperial examinations of the Tang Dynasty, and people acknowledge Li Po and Tu Fu as the master poets, which of the two do you like better?"

"Tu's poems," Yun said, "are known for their workmanship and artistic refinement, while Li's poems are known for their freedom and naturalness of expression. I prefer the vivacity of Li Po to the severity of Tu Fu."

"Tu Fu is the acknowledged king of poets," said I, "and he is taken by most people as their model. Why do you prefer Li Po?"

"Of course," said she, "as for perfection of form and maturity of thought, Tu is the undisputed master, but Li Po's poems have the wayward charm of a nymph. His lines come naturally like dropping petals and flowing waters, and are so much lovelier for their spontaneity. I am not saying that Tu is second to Li; only personally I feel, not that I love Tu less, but that I love Li more."

"I say, I didn't know that you are a bosom friend of Li Po!"

"I have still in my heart another poet, Po Chiyi, who is my first tutor, as it were, and I have not been able to forget him."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Isn't he the one who wrote the poem on the Pi Pa Player?"

"This is very strange." I laughed and said, "So Li Po is your bosom friend, Po Chiyi is your first tutor and your husband's literary name is San Po. It seems that your life is always bound up with the Po's."

"It is all the right," Yun smiled and replied, "to have one's life bound up with the Po's, only I am afraid I shall be writing Po characters all my life." (For in Soochow we call misspelt words "Po characters.") And we both laughed.

"Now that you know poetry." I said, " I should like also to know your taste for Fu's poems."

"The Chu Tzu is, of course, the fountain head of fu poetry, but I find it difficult to understand. It seems to me that among the Han and Chin fu poets, Ssuma Hsiangiu is the most sublime in point of style and direction." Yun said.

"Perhaps," I said, "Wenchin was tempted to elope with Hsiangiu not because of his chin music, but rather because of his fu poetry." and we laughed again.