“LONELINESS”
By
Tu FU
Geschke/English IV
"Loneliness"
Nature Imagery
• “A hawk hovers in air” (1)
• Predator
Geschke/English IV
"Loneliness"
Nature Imagery
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•
“Two white gulls float on the stream” (2)
Prey
Easy target because of floating
Reminiscent of “Substance, Shadow &
Spirit”
– “Drift on the stream of infinite flux”
• This poem demonstrates it is dangerous to drift
Geschke/English IV
"Loneliness"
Nature Imagery
• “Soaring with the wind, it is easy/ To drop
and seize/ Birds who foolishly drift with the
current.” (3-5)
• “opposite message of “Substance,
Shadow & Spirit”
• To drift=death
Geschke/English IV
"Loneliness"
Nature Imagery
• “Where the dew sparkles in the grass/ The
spider’s web waits for its prey” (6-7)
• Irony
• Sparkling dew
– Pleasant, pleasing, peaceful image
• Spider’s web awaiting prey
– Disturbing, dangerous image
• Death is found everywhere in nature
Geschke/English IV
"Loneliness"
THEME
• “The processes of nature resemble the
business of men./ I stand alone with ten
thousand sorrows” (8-9)
• Processes of nature=business of men
Geschke/English IV
"Loneliness"
THEME
• Based on this poem, what is the poet
saying about the processes of nature?
• Destructive
• Dangerous
• Brutal
Geschke/English IV
"Loneliness"
THEME
• Therefore, these negative views of nature
symbolize the poet’s perception of
humanity
• Result:
– Loneliness (remember the title)
– Ten thousand sorrows
Geschke/English IV
"Loneliness"