The first two sentences of the poem "Ode to the Willows" use (metaphoric) rhetorical techniques to describe the static willow trees and praise the vibrant beauty (spring).
"Ode to the Willows" is a seven-character quatrain written by He Zhizhang, a poet in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. This poem is a poem about things. The first two lines of the poem use two new and beautiful metaphors to describe the vitality and verdant beauty of spring willows; the last two lines even more creatively compare the spring breeze to "scissors", vividly expressing the invisible and elusive "spring breeze". Come out, not only the idea is novel, but also full of charm.
Original text
Ode to the Willow
Jasper 1 makes up 2 a tree 3 high,
Ten thousand green silk ribbons hang down 4 .
I don’t know who can cut out the thin leaves.
The spring breeze in February is like scissors.
Annotations to poems
1. Jasper: green jade. Here it is used as a metaphor for the green willow leaves in spring.
2. Makeup: decoration, dressing up.
3. A tree: full of trees. One: Full, complete. In classical Chinese poetry and articles, quantifiers do not necessarily indicate exact quantities when used. The "wan" in the next sentence means a lot.
4. 绦(tāo): a rope made of silk. This refers to wicker like a ribbon.
5. Cut: Cut.
6. Similar: Like, as if.
Verse Translation
The tall willow trees are covered with new green leaves, and the gentle willow branches hang down, like thousands of gently fluttering green ribbons.
Whose skillful hands cut these thin young leaves? It turned out to be the warm spring breeze in February, like a pair of dexterous scissors.
About the author
He Zhizhang (659~744), a poet of the Tang Dynasty, also known as Jizhen, was a native of Yongxing, Yuezhou (now Xiaoshan City, Zhejiang Province). He became a Jinshi, entered Lizhengdian Academy to study books, and participated in the writing of "Six Canons" and "Wenzhuan". Later he was promoted to Minister of Rites, and Lei was promoted to Secretary Supervisor, so he was called "He Supervisor". He is open-minded and uninhibited, and is known as a "clear talker". In the third year of Tang Tianbao's reign (744), he retired and returned to his hometown to become a Taoist priest. He Zhizhang is as famous as Zhang Ruoxu, Zhang Xu and Bao Rong, and is known as the "Four Scholars in Wuzhong". There are nineteen poems in "Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty". His landscape paintings are fresh and popular, without any intention of seeking craftsmanship but with new ideas.