Lychee cover

Lychee

Rating 2.7
Word count
3.2K words
Chapters
48

Tags

Summary

A poem by the Tang dynasty poet Zheng Gu.

Editor's review

Lychee is a poem by the Tang poet Zheng Gu. Brief in length, it nonetheless continues Zheng Gu's characteristic clear and gentle touch. Zheng Gu excelled at yongwu poetry, and this poem takes the lychee, a fine fruit of the south, as its subject, blending the object with feeling and thought; reading it, one sees both the fresh succulence of the fruit and the poet's delicate observation of season, region, and life. For the general reader it is a small window into late Tang poetic style; for lovers of classical poetry, it offers a chance to appreciate the ingenuity of Tang yongwu poetry through its imagery and diction. This edition is printed by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company, in a format easy to browse, suitable for casual reading at one's desk or on the commute. It is best not treated as a classic to be "conquered" but as a small poem to be savored repeatedly: first read it through to feel the rhythm, then savor the wording and imagery line by line, and finally consider what feelings the poem may harbor in light of Zheng Gu's historical context.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Classical literature readers who love Tang poetry and want an introduction through short yongwu poems
  • General readers who need a short poem for morning reading or fragmented commute reading
  • Learners interested in the late Tang poet Zheng Gu and his yongwu style

Not a good fit for

  • Deep researchers expecting long narrative or detailed annotated exposition
  • Readers hoping to gain a systematic understanding of Tang poetry history from one book

Reading tips

  1. First read the whole poem twice, not seeking word-by-word explanation but grasping the rhythm and overall picture.
  2. Then examine the verbs and color words line by line, appreciating the careful diction of yongwu poetry.
  3. After reading, consider in light of late Tang social context: what might the poet have been expressing through the lychee.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 【寄前水部贾员外嵩】郑谷
  3. 卷674_48【寄棋客】郑谷
  4. 卷674_49【闻进士许彬罢举归睦州怅然怀寄】郑谷
  5. 卷674_50【长安夜坐寄怀湖外嵇处士】郑谷
  6. 卷674_51【赠文士王雄】郑谷
  7. 卷674_52【赠富平李宰】郑谷
  8. 卷674_53【赠尚颜上人】郑谷
  9. 卷674_54【赠泗口苗居士】郑谷
  10. 卷674_55【梁烛处士辞金陵,相国杜公归旧山,因以寄赠】郑谷
  11. 卷674_56【哭建州李员外频】郑谷
  12. 卷674_57【哭进士李洞二首】郑谷
  13. 卷674_58【南康郡牧陆肱郎中辟许棠先辈为郡从事,因有寄赠】郑谷
  14. 卷674_59【久不得张乔消息】郑谷
  15. 卷674_60【题嵩高隐者居】郑谷
  16. 卷674_61【赵璘郎中席上赋蝴蝶】郑谷
  17. 卷674_62【贺进士骆用锡登第】郑谷
  18. 卷674_63【兴州东池】郑谷
  19. 卷674_64【渠江旅思】郑谷
  20. 卷674_65【登杭州城(一作题杭州樟亭,一作题樟亭驿楼)】郑谷
  21. 卷674_66【曲江】郑谷
  22. 卷674_67【沙苑】郑谷
  23. 卷674_68【通川客舍】郑谷
  24. 卷674_69【潼关道中】郑谷
  25. 卷674_70【终南白鹤观】郑谷
  26. 卷674_71【题兴善寺寂上人院】郑谷
  27. 卷674_72【题水部李羽员外招国里居】郑谷
  28. 卷674_73【信美寺岑上人(一作司空图诗)】郑谷
  29. 卷674_74【池上】郑谷
  30. 卷674_75【游贵侯城南林墅】郑谷
  31. 卷674_76【江行】郑谷
  32. 卷674_77【舟次通泉精舍】郑谷
  33. 卷674_78【水轩】郑谷
  34. 卷674_79【浔阳姚宰厅作】郑谷
  35. 卷674_80【梓潼岁暮】郑谷
  36. 卷674_81【咸阳】郑谷
  37. 卷674_82【长安感兴】郑谷
  38. 卷674_83【闻所知游樊川有寄】郑谷
  39. 卷674_84【张谷田舍】郑谷
  40. 卷674_85【深居】郑谷
  41. 卷674_86【端居】郑谷
  42. 卷674_87【郊园】郑谷
  43. 卷674_88【郊野】郑谷
  44. 卷674_89【旅寓洛南村舍】郑谷
  45. 卷674_90【杏花】郑谷
  46. 卷674_91【水林檎花】郑谷
  47. 卷674_92【蓼花】郑谷
  48. 卷674_93【江梅】郑谷

FAQ

Is this poem suitable for readers with no background?
Yes. The poem is short and its language not difficult; readers with no background can first feel the rhythm and imagery without rushing into word-by-word textual research; consult reference books when something is unclear.
What are the characteristics of Zheng Gu's yongwu poetry?
Zheng Gu is known for clarity and gentle simplicity; his yongwu poems often start from everyday objects, emphasizing vivid imagery and restrained emotion. They are not obscure but reward repeated savoring.
What materials are needed to read this poem?
A reliable anthology of Tang poetry or a dictionary is enough. Read the original poem first, then consult notes and brief analyses; do not rely on extensive background material from the start.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.

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