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Analyzing The Poem 'Fishhawk'

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Analyzing The Poem 'Fishhawk'
“Fishhawk” Anonymous Zhou Dynasty
General Idea: The narrator spies a maiden at the stream picking watercress. While he longs for her as he observes her and tries to gain her attention. The speaker is longing for the “ideal” woman, not only beauty, but in the manners expected of her at that time: “Gentle maiden, pure and fair.” Yet in his longing, he keeps his distance as propriety demands. Structurally, this poem has both the assonance and alliteration of a lyric poem. For example, “Watercress grows here and there…. Gentle maiden, pure and fair”, and the fishhawk’s song, guan guan. The subject of the poem is passionate love that has not/or cannot be obtained. There is a longing for this love that keeps him up at night. Love’s suffering …show more content…
It uses vivid images to illustrate points about the opinion of the actions seen. For example, the image of the maiden white as marble can be compared to the dead roe deer wrapped in white rushes. This observational approach seems that author is seeing this happen. With that in mind, the poem appears to be writing in first person, and the maiden and her seducer actions are the main focus of the poem. Susan Mayfield 2

“Zhongzi, Please” Anonymous Zhou Dynasty
General Idea: A woman is pleading for Zhongzi not to take her virginity due to the warnings her various people have given her about the consequences of its loss. In fear of what would happen to her honor, and her family’s reaction to its lost, the author begs Zhongzi to not take it from her. The poem is written in first person with the author talking to another, Zhongzi. She uses references to the natural world like “don’t break the willows planted there” to represent her virginity, as well as “don’t cross my village wall…..cross my fence…cross into my garden” to represent the natural barrier of her body.

“Darling, come visit me” Mirabai 16th
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