“1.13 l. 4: One original touch in Li Qingzhao’s poem is that she expands the contrast with the recluse to include not only those still in officialdom (who ride the small boats in line two, on their way to new provincial assignments) to include merchants as well. At least one modern commentator (Wang Yingzhi) finds irony in Li Qingzhao’s poem, suggesting she intends to remind us that reclusion is not a respectable choice during times of dynastic crisis, and that those literati who clung to the traditional respect for recluses like Yan Ziling were misguided.”
Re: 1.12 夜發嚴灘 Setting Out at Night from Yan Rapids
Date: 2021-12-14 07:26 pm (UTC)l. 4: One original touch in Li Qingzhao’s poem is that she expands the contrast with the recluse to include not only those still in officialdom (who ride the small boats in line two, on their way to new provincial assignments) to include merchants as well. At least one modern commentator (Wang Yingzhi) finds irony in Li Qingzhao’s poem, suggesting she intends to remind us that reclusion is not a respectable choice during times of dynastic crisis, and that those literati who clung to the traditional respect for recluses like Yan Ziling were misguided.”
^this bit about small boats