5. In your textbook, read the poems by Li Po. How does the poetry reflect the ca
ID: 3446834 • Letter: 5
Question
5. In your textbook, read the poems by Li Po. How does the poetry reflect the carpe diem philosophy? From “Bring the Wine” Have you never seenThe Yellow River waters descending from the sky,Racing restless toward the ocean, never to return?Have you never seenBright mirrors in high halls, the white-haired ones lamenting,Their black silk of morning by evening turned to snow?If life is to have meaning, seize every joy you can;Do not let the golden cask sit idle in the moonlight!Heaven gave me talents, and meant them to be used;Gold scattered by the thousand comes home to me again.Boil the mutton, roast the ox—we will be merry,At one bout no less than three hundred cups. “Autumn Cove” At autumn cove, so many white monkeysBounding, leaping up like snowflakes in flight!They coax and pull their young ones down from the branchesTo drink and frolic with the water-borne moon.
Explanation / Answer
Carpe Diem is a Latin phrase which literally means ‘Seize the Day’ and it is found in the writings of Horace. This philosophy suggests that one should live for today without worrying much about tomorrow which is not in our hands. Many philosophies, both Eastern and Western support the idea of living in the present.
In this poem Li Po asks the reader to use the talent and make enough money to enjoy the day. He recalls that all the wise people were forgotten from history but few drunkards are always remembered. He finally addresses to his host not to worry about not having any money to buy wine but to sell his horse and buy enough wine, so that they both could enjoy the day.
It’s really very important to live for the day rather than worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. People who live in the present deposit their time and energy for tomorrow without consciously thinking about it. So, if we do things for the day, we don’t need to worry about tomorrow.
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