1. This is a parting poem, But what is Jiang Kui’s view of this occasion? regret? anticipation? explore the series of stances toward farewell that he sets out in the ci.
His view of this occasion is mixed with regret and anticipation. Because he mentioned “I always regret that partings are many and meetings few; about to again visits “west of the bamboo,” pearls of Tears feel my hands.” but he wrote “What day will I return, with Plum flowers in profusion on a spring night?” at the end, Which shows that his eagerness to return.
2. The first two-strophes form single sentences. What are the connections between these two strophic units? What is the role of imagery in connecting the two strophes?
amid withered grasses and mournful Mists,
chaotic Ravens see off the sun:
wind-blown sand whirls across the level plain. brushing the snow with a metal whip,
cheating the cold in a soft hat:
I still recall racing horses along Zhang
Terrace Road.
the first strophic unit brings out the second strophic through describing the time (dusk) and place (a waste land) and it’s a cold weather, which is the reason of the poet’s clothing or accessories. The same scene makes the poet recall the past.