ArianaLozner

Mrs.Hope
WorldLiteratureandWritersWorkshop
30October2015

TheRiverMerchantsWife:AuthorsCraftAnalysis
LiPoisoneofthemostrenownedpoetsofChineseliterature.HegrewupintheTang
Dynasty,knownastheGoldenAgeofChina.Mostofhispoemsarefreespiritedandlyricaland
sharethecommonthemesoffreedomandnature.OnepoembyLiPo,TheRiverMerchants
Wife,isnarratedbyarivermerchantswife,anddescribestherelationshipofherandher
husband.Thenarratormissesherhusbandeversinceheleftfivemonthsagoandtherefore
decidestowritehimaletter.Intheletter,thewifeillustrateshowthecouplemetfromwhenthey
werechildrenandhowshemissedhimdeeplywhentherivermerchantdeparted.Thepoem
exploresthemessuchasloneliness,separation,andlove.Throughtheuseofimagery,mood,and
tone,theauthorisskillfullyabletodepicttherelationshipbetweenarivermerchantandhiswife.
Forinstance,LiPosuseofimageryhelpstovisualizeandpaintapictureofthepoem.
Imageryistheuseofthewordsandphrasesthathavetodowithsensorydetails.Anexample
ofthisismyhairwasstillcutstraightacrossmyforehead(LiPo1),whichillustratesayoung
girlwithbangs.Thissymbolizesyouthaschinesewomenusedtoweartheirhairshortinbangs
whentheywereyoungandlong,uncutwhentheygrewolder.Theuseofconcreteimageryhelps
tosetthesceneandcreateasetting.Anotherexampleofimageryisshowninline18,whenthe

wifestatesthatThemonkeysmakesorrowfulnoiseoverhead(LiPo18)asherhusband
departed.Thisrepresentsthepainthewifeisgoingthroughafterthelossofherhusband.The
sensorydetailbeingportrayedinthislineissoundastheusuallyhappymonkeysmake
sorrowfulnoise.Theauthorsuseofimagerycontributestotheoverallmeaningofthestory.
Furthermore,themoodandtoneofthepoemrevealsanovertonetothepoem.Toneis
thefeelingthewriterfeelswhilemoodiswhatthereaderfeelswhilereadingapieceof
literature.ThemoodcreatedinTheRiverMerchantsWifeisheartfeltandhopeful.The
narratorsdeterminationtoseehersignificantotherisexpressedinline25assheclaimsshewill
travelasfarasChofuSa(LiPo25)justtoseehim.ChofuSaisavillageontheyangtze
river,200milesaway.Thefactthatthewifewouldtravelsofarjusttoseeherhusbandis
astoundingwhichmakesthereaderfeelheartfeltandhopeful.Meanwhile,thetoneofthepoem
startsoffasbelligerentanddistantwhenthewifestateAtfourteenImarriedMyLordyou./I
neverlaughed,beingbashful./Loweringmyhead,Ilookedatthewall.(LiPo79)Thetone
revealsthenarratorfeelsreluctantandbashfulsincesheisgettingmarriedatsuchayoung
age.Howeverlaterinthepoem,thetoneisheartwarming,passionate,andromanticasthewife
getsusedtoherhusbandandeventuallywarmsuptohim.Thisisstatedinlines1112whenthe
wifedeclaresatfifteenIstoppedscowling,/Idesiredmydusttobemingledwithyours(LiPo
1112).Thisfeelingswiftlychangesasthenarratorshusbandleaveswhichresultsinashiftin
thetone.Thetoneissorrowfulbuthopefulanddeterminedasthewifeisstillwaitingforher
husbandtoreturnandwillbetherewhenhedoes.

Inconclusion,imagery,tone,andmoodareallliterarystrategiesLiPousestoreveala
deepermeaningtoTheRiverMerchant'sWife.Byusingthesestrategies,LiPowasatalented
poetwhodeservesmorerecognitioninmoderndayAmericansociety.

TheRiverMerchantsWife:ALetter
Ezra Pound, 1885 - 1972
Whilemyhairwasstillcutstraightacrossmyforehead
Iplayedaboutthefrontgate,pullingflowers.
Youcamebyonbamboostilts,playinghorse,
Youwalkedaboutmyseat,playingwithblueplums.
AndwewentonlivinginthevillageofChokan:
Twosmallpeople,withoutdislikeorsuspicion.

AtfourteenImarriedMyLordyou.
Ineverlaughed,beingbashful.
Loweringmyhead,Ilookedatthewall.
Calledto,athousandtimes,Ineverlookedback.

AtfifteenIstoppedscowling,
Idesiredmydusttobemingledwithyours
Foreverandforeverandforever.
WhyshouldIclimbthelookout?

Atsixteenyoudeparted,
YouwentintofarKutoyen,bytheriverofswirlingeddies,
Andyouhavebeengonefivemonths.
Themonkeysmakesorrowfulnoiseoverhead.

Youdraggedyourfeetwhenyouwentout.
Bythegatenow,themossisgrown,thedifferentmosses,
Toodeeptoclearthemaway!
Theleavesfallearlythisautumn,inwind.
23ThepairedbutterfliesarealreadyyellowwithAugust
OverthegrassintheWestgarden
Theyhurtme.Igrowolder.
IfyouarecomingdownthroughthenarrowsoftheriverKiang,
Pleaseletmeknowbeforehand,

AndIwillcomeouttomeetyou
AsfarasChofuSa.