Poetry of Po Chu-i

Po Chu-i was born in the late 8th century, and served the government throughout his life. He believed that the purpose of poetry should not be to imitate nature, as was especially popular in the court setting, but to effect social change. Po Chu-i was frustrated by the level of corruption in the Chinese government, but even more angered at the complacency of the Chinese people who endured oppression and poverty in the hopes of reaching paradise. Po Chu-i used his poetry to reveal social inequality and the futility of superstition. He was a serious poet who dedicate his work to improving the lives of the Chinese citizens.

Watching the Reapers

Tillers of the soil have few idle months;
In the fifth month their toil is double-fold.
A south-wind visits the fields at night:
Suddenly the hill is covered with yellow corn.
Wives and daughters shoulder baskets of rice;
Youths and boys carry the flasks of wine.
Following after they bring a wage of meat
To the strong reapers toiling on the southern hill,
Whose feet are burned by the hot earth they tread,
Whose backs are scorched by flames of the shining sky.
Tired they toil, caring nothing for the heat,
Grudging the shortness of the long summer day.
A poor woman follows at the reapers' side
With an infant child carried close at her breast.
With her right hand she gleans the fallen grain;
On her left arm a broken basket hangs.
And I today...by virtue of what right
Have I never once tended field or tree?
My government pay is three hundred tons;
At the year's end I have still grain in hand.
Thinking of this, secretly I grew ashamed;
And all day the thought lingered in my head.

Much of Po Chu-i's poetry is concerned with social responsibility. Here he questions his own right to oppress the striving poor, thus urging his audience to question the right of all officials to live luxuriantly and easily, not attending to the needs of the people, and even worse, aggravating the hardships they must already suffer.