Poem: A View of Taishan

Poem title: A View of Taishan (Poem written 1200 years ago by Du Fu)

Background: Taishan is one of five Sacred Mountains in China. Chinese people also called it Eastern Mountain. It is located in Shandong Province and closing to East China Sea. It is the place we worship our ancestors in Chinese history. It is also a mountain surrounded with a spectacular view and has been awarded World Natural Heritage by UNESCO(United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1987.

Poet:Du Fu--a distinguished poet in Chinese history. He was lived in Tang Dynasty, about 1200 years ago, which is the Golden Age of Chinese poem development. It is one of his early works when he was failed in the Imperial Examinations. But he was still filled with ambition at that time.

Original poem:
岱宗夫如何？ 齐鲁青未了。
造化钟神秀， 阴阳割昏晓。
荡胸生层云， 决眥入归鸟。
会当凌绝顶， 一览众山小。

English edition:
What shall I say of the Great Peak? --
The ancient dukedoms are everywhere green,
Inspired and vivid by the breath of creation,
With the Twin Forces balancing day and night.
I bare my breast toward clouds billowing,
I strain my sight after birds flying home.
Do reach the summit I will
Holding all spectacular attractions in a single glance

Explaination:
The first 4 sentences describe the Taishan across the regions of Qi and Lu, two famous kingdoms in Chinese history, and the different scene of mountains in the two places to indicate the lofty mountains rolling all the way up to the sky. It also implies the mountain witnesses the years of vicissitudes and the rise and fall of different dynasties.

The fifth and sixth sentences reveal the poet’s feeling when he overlooking the spectacular views. The billowing clouds stir up poet’s upsurge of emotion and the homing birds broaden his range of vision.

The last 2 sentences signify his strong willingness to climb to the top of a mountain and enjoy all marvellous scenery. It also signifies the poet’s great ambition.

I like this poem because of the awe-inspiring effect and ambitious feeling of the poem, especially reading in Chinese. It is a very famous poem in China.