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CHINESE POETRY AND ITS CONNOTATIONS 



wrote a thousand lines his last would have as much vigour 

 as the first. No one can equal him in this — his poems make 

 a perfect circle, while those of Li Tai Po are like spring 

 flowers, the poems of Tu Fu are like the pine trees which are 

 eternal — which do not fear cold or snow." 





m 



Ttj Ftj and His Family. 



To the end of his life he retained the characteristic of 

 telling the truth squarely and flatly with no consideration for 

 the feelings of the person with whom he spoke — a character- 

 istic which, possibly, did not endear him to the general 

 public, although his friends were deeply devoted to him. 

 He had a passionate love of country; a deep hatred of the 

 endless wars and rebellions which were devastating the coun- 

 try and which he felt were due to mis-government ; and a keen 

 appreciation of the sufferings of his fellow men whom he felt 

 powerless to help. Having tasted the bitterness of extreme 

 poverty he longed to be able to house all the starving scholars 

 in a beautiful building where they would suffer no want. This 

 thought he expressed in the poem which ends: — 



How to obtain a spacious mansion, with a thousand, — 



ten thousand rooms ! 

 A great shelter where the Empire's shivering scholars 



Ehould all have happy faces ! ! 

 Not moved by the wind and rain — immovable like a hill. 

 Wu Hu ! Alas ! at what time before my eyes will rise. 



dominating and proud this manner of house? 

 Although my hovel were destroyed — although I myself 



suffered cold and froze to death (in my hearts 



would be complete Peace. 



