Seeing a Guest Off as He Returns East cover

Seeing a Guest Off as He Returns East

Rating 4.0
Word count
2.9K words
Chapters
48

Tags

Summary

"Seeing a Guest Off to the East" is one of the works of Li Duan, a poet of the Tang Dynasty.

Editor's review

Li Duan was one of the Ten Talents of the Dali Era in the Tang Dynasty. This poem, "Seeing a Guest Off to the East," takes farewell as its theme; its tone is clear and gentle, its feeling restrained, and within a short compass it reveals the typical manner of Tang farewell poetry. This edition was printed by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company, allowing readers to experience the reading of classical poetry beyond the traditional woodblock printing style. The book unfolds around the scene of seeing a guest off to the east; it contains both personal sorrow at parting and the atmosphere of the times in Tang scholars' social exchanges and travels. For readers who wish to enter the context of Tang farewell poetry through a single short poem, this book can serve as a text for close reading: first grasp the transitions of scenery and emotion in the lines, then connect them with the creative environment in which Li Duan lived, to understand how Tang people entrusted friendship in everyday complimentary verse. It is better suited as supplementary material for thematic reading of classical poetry than as a systematic work on the history of poetry. When reading, it can be compared with famous farewell pieces by Wang Wei, Wang Changling, and others, to appreciate the choices and stylistic differences of different poets on the same theme, thereby gaining a more three-dimensional understanding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Classical literature enthusiasts interested in Tang farewell poetry who wish to read individual works closely
  • Student readers studying selected Tang poems who need supplementary specific examples
  • General readers who enjoy short, refined classical poems and value emotional appreciation

Not a good fit for

  • Research-oriented readers seeking a systematic understanding of Li Duan's life and complete works
  • Beginner readers who prefer modern vernacular interpretation and need detailed annotations and translations

Reading tips

  1. First read the whole poem through, mark the lines describing scenery and expressing emotion, and appreciate the layers of feeling in the farewell scene.
  2. Compare it with famous farewell poems such as Wang Wei's "Sending Yuan Er on a Mission to Anxi," and compare similarities and differences in conception and technique.
  3. After reading, briefly record the images that appear in the poem, and sort out common modes of expression in Tang farewell poetry.

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. 【送人归故园】储嗣宗
  3. 【得越中书】储嗣宗
  4. 【秋墅】储嗣宗
  5. 【哭彭先生】储嗣宗
  6. 【和顾非熊先生题茅山处士闲居】储嗣宗
  7. 【长安怀古】储嗣宗
  8. 【过王右丞书堂二首】储嗣宗
  9. 【孤雁】储嗣宗
  10. 【赠隐者】储嗣宗
  11. 【早春怀薛公裕】储嗣宗
  12. 【村月】储嗣宗
  13. 【早春】储嗣宗
  14. 【送友人游吴】储嗣宗
  15. 【赠别】储嗣宗
  16. 【经故人旧居】储嗣宗
  17. 【随边使过五原】储嗣宗
  18. 【春怀寄秣陵知友】储嗣宗
  19. 【宋州月夜感怀】储嗣宗
  20. 【吴宫】储嗣宗
  21. 【春游望仙谷】储嗣宗
  22. 【圣女祠】储嗣宗
  23. 【宿范水】储嗣宗
  24. 【送顾陶校书归钱塘】储嗣宗
  25. 【题云阳高少府衙斋】储嗣宗
  26. 【早春山行】于武陵
  27. 【宿友生林居因怀贾区】于武陵
  28. 【赠卖松人】于武陵
  29. 【友人南游不回因而有寄】于武陵
  30. 【送酂县董明府之任】于武陵
  31. 【山上树】于武陵
  32. 【长信宫二首】于武陵
  33. 【洛阳道】于武陵
  34. 【东门路】于武陵
  35. 【江楼春望】于武陵
  36. 【洛中晴望】于武陵
  37. 【西归】于武陵
  38. 【南游】于武陵
  39. 【南游有感】于武陵
  40. 【夜泊湘江】于武陵
  41. 【客中】于武陵
  42. 【夜寻僧不遇(一作夜寻僧,僧游山未归)】于武陵
  43. 【访道者不遇(一作访僧不遇)】于武陵
  44. 【赠王隐者山居(一作赠隐者)】于武陵
  45. 【寄北客】于武陵
  46. 【寄友人】于武陵
  47. 【夜与故人别】于武陵
  48. 【别故人】于武陵

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no foundation in classical poetry?
It can be read, but requires some patience. The diction and farewell background in the poem have Tang Dynasty characteristics; it is advisable first to use a reliable annotated edition to understand the meanings of words, then return to the original text for close reading, which makes it easier to grasp the emotional thread.
How does reading this poem help in understanding Tang farewell poetry?
It provides a concrete sample of the Tang farewell theme; readers can observe how parting emotions are expressed through scenery and travel descriptions, and then compare it with other famous farewell poems to understand more clearly the common techniques and variations of this theme.
Do I need to consult other materials while reading?
It is advisable to read alongside annotations in Tang literary histories or selected Tang poems, to understand the approximate period of Li Duan's activity and the common background of farewell poetry. If reading only the original text, you can first grasp the literal meaning and emotional tone, then gradually supplement background knowledge.

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About the author

李端 Author

Li Duan, whose dates of birth and death and native place remain unknown, can only be understood through his surviving works, as public information about him is limited. Nine of his works are included here, among them "Seeing a Guest Off Eastward," "Boudoir Feelings," "To an Old Man in the Mountains," "Song Lyrics: Mooring at Jingzhou," "Inscribed on the Room of Monk Zhun at Yunji Temple," and "Mooring at Baling at Evening," with some pieces recorded more than once. These titles show that Li Duan wrote mainly classical poetry on themes of farewell, boudoir longing, gifts and replies, travel, and inscriptions. He often expresses sorrow at parting and reflections on life through departing travelers, a woman's secluded feelings, quiet mountain dwellings, and night moorings on a journey. His language is concise and natural, his tone clear and gentle, and he skillfully entrusts subtle emotions to ordinary scenery, embodying the restrained resonance of classical poetry. The library classifies his work under ancient poetry and literary appreciation, indicating that it is still read and enjoyed as classical verse. Because biographical material is lacking, his family background, official career, and circle of friends cannot be described in detail; the assessment therefore centers on the themes and style noted above.

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