Two Poems on Eye Disease

1. First read both poems through and mark the lines describing eye symptoms and those describing inner feelings, then compare how the two connect.
2. Read aloud once or twice, paying attention to the rhythm of the seven-character lines, then use the annotations to understand the literal meaning.
3. Read alongside Bai Juyi's other poems of leisure and note changes in tone as the poet faces bodily aging.
4. After reading, summarize in your own words the poet's attitude toward his eye disease to test whether you have grasped the meaning beyond the words.

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.