Meaning: The snow bends the bamboo, but no matter how low it is, it will not touch the ground. As long as the red sun is there and the snow melts, I will still straighten my back and the sky will reach the sky.
From: "Ode to Bamboo" by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Meaning: It means that you will never give up your principles when you are oppressed, and you will still stand upright as long as you have the opportunity. This poem is full of heroic spirit, which is amazing. Although Zhu Yuanzhang is a rough man and does not have much poetry skills, this poem is powerful, domineering and charming.
Creative background
The creative background of this poem is related to Zhu Yuanzhang's origin. Zhu Yuanzhang was born in a poor peasant family. He is the fourth in the family and the eighth among his brothers, so he is named Zhu Chongba.
A drought occurred in Haozhou in the third year of Zhizheng. In the spring of the following year, serious locust plagues and plagues occurred. Within half a month, Zhu Yuanzhang's father, eldest brother and mother passed away one after another. Only Zhu Yuanzhang and his second brother were left. The family had no money to buy a coffin, and they didn't even have a piece of land to bury their relatives. Their neighbor Liu Jizu gave them a cemetery.
The two brothers found some rags, wrapped the body, and buried their parents on the land of the Liu family. In order to survive, Zhu Yuanzhang, his second brother, sister-in-law, and nephew were forced to separate and escape separately. Later, after he succeeded, he recalled all this and never gave up his mood when he was oppressed, allowing him to compose this poem.