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The River Merchant's Wife: A Letter by Ezra Pound Poem Translation, Themes, and Symbolism
While my hair was still cut straight across my forehead
I played about the front gate, pulling flowers.
You came by on bamboo stilts, playing horse,
You walked about my seat, playing with blue plums.
And we went on living in the village of Chōkan:
Two small people, without dislike or suspicion.
At fourteen I married My Lord you.
I never laughed, being bashful.
Lowering my head, I looked at the wall.
Called to, a thousand times, I never looked back.
At fifteen I stopped scowling,
I desired my dust to be mingled with yours
Forever and forever, and forever.
Why should I climb the look out?
At sixteen you departed
You went into far Ku-tō-en, by the river of swirling eddies,
And you have been gone five months.
The monkeys make sorrowful noise overhead.
You dragged your feet when you went out.
By the gate now, the moss is grown, the different mosses,
Too deep to clear them away!
The leaves fall early this autumn, in wind.
The paired butterflies are already yellow with August
Over the grass in the West garden;
They hurt me.
I grow older.
If you are coming down through the narrows of the river Kiang,
Please let me know beforehand,
And I will come out to meet you
As far as Chō-fū-Sa.
There are several themes present in "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter" by Ezra Pound.
Longing and Separation: The poem is a poignant expression of the wife's longing for her husband, who is away on a river merchant's boat. The distance between them is a source of great pain for her, and she longs to be reunited with him. This theme of longing and separation is a central one in the poem, and it is expressed through images of the natural world, such as falling leaves and swirling eddies.
Love and Marriage: The poem explores the nature of love and marriage, particularly in the context of Chinese culture. The wife and husband are depicted as two small people who fell in love when they were young, and their courtship and marriage are described with simplicity and elegance. The wife's desire to be with her husband is expressed in terms of her wish to have her dust mingled with his forever.
Passage of Time: The theme of the passage of time is central to the poem, and it is expressed through images of the changing seasons and the natural world. The wife notices the falling leaves and the growing moss, and she reflects on the fact that she is growing older. The theme of the passage of time is closely related to the theme of longing and separation, as the wife's longing is intensified by the knowledge that time is passing and that her husband's return may be uncertain.
Cultural Identity: The poem is set in a specific cultural context, that of rural China, and it draws on images and motifs from Chinese literature and culture. This theme of cultural identity is closely tied to the themes of love, separation, and the passage of time, as the poem explores how these universal human experiences are shaped by specific cultural contexts.
Symbolism:
River: The river is a central symbol in the poem, representing the passage of time and the flow of life. The wife reflects on how the river has changed over the years, and she contrasts its eternal nature with the fleeting nature of human life.
Boat: The boat on which the husband is traveling is a symbol of separation and distance. It represents the husband's physical absence from the wife, as well as the emotional distance between them.
Blue plums: The image of the blue plums represents the wife's youthful beauty and innocence. The plums are a symbol of her purity and freshness, and they contrast with the later image of falling leaves, which represent the passing of time and the inevitability of aging.
Bamboo stilts: The image of the bamboo stilts represents the wife's vulnerability and fragility. The stilts are a symbol of her youth and inexperience, and they suggest that she is still learning to navigate the world.
Swirling eddies: The swirling eddies in the river represent the chaotic and unpredictable nature of life. The wife reflects on how the eddies have changed over time, suggesting that life is constantly in flux and that nothing remains the same.
Falling leaves: The image of falling leaves represents the passing of time and the inevitability of aging and decay. The wife reflects on how the leaves have changed over the years, and she contrasts their beauty with their fragility and transience.
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