Li Sao review - Kurt Malkames

For my book review I choose Encountering Sorrow by Ch’u Yuan. Encountering Sorrow (sometimes known as Li Sao) was written during the Chou dynasty in the state of Ch’u (not to be confused with the name of the author), which was located to the south of the Yangtze in modern day China. The poem was supposedly written in the 4th century B.C. but the exact date is not known. Because this poem was from south Ch’u it had certain characteristics not found in the north. The influences of shamanism were evident in this piece since it was more rhapsodic with its tone and had very rich and incredible imagery. The poems from the north during this time were much more mundane with their images. Encountering Sorrow is a 374 line narrative poem. This was the longest poem written prior to the Han dynasty. Ch’u Yuan was a nobleman who was a high minister to King Huai. He eventually became shunned in the kingdom because of remarks of rival noblemen and was banished to the south where he eventually drowned himself. The poems content is about an aristocratic man, who complains about his cohorts in high-society. His major problem is that he becomes alienated from his King (known as the Fair One). Time after time he expresses his deep loyalty and service to his King. He truly believes that his service is beyond compare to his fellow countrymen. The main character cites historical examples to prove that if the King does not keep his service he is bound to fail. The poem uses the theme of a journey. The main character visits places of legend as he progresses in the story. All in all, the poem is a combination of many different elements of a poem. It uses imagery and allusions to create some sort of compassion from the reader that the main character should be re-accepted by the King. As for the form of the poem, it is hard to interpret exactly what was going on. The original Chinese had lines of 6 or 7 characters but the English translation has varying line lengths. Personally, what attracts me to this poem is its simplicity. The fact that someone, many centuries ago, was able to create such vivid imagery and passionate tone without the use of fancy words that poets use today inspires me. To me, good poetry does not have to be complex with its meanings and language. This poem is a very good example of that.