Dreaming Of Li Po By Tu Fu And Fish Cheeks, By Amy Tan

Art and literature can have a significant impact on the perception of cultures that we do not personally live in. These two mediums of communication are often overlooked, but can greatly change the perception of a place or culture. As human beings we are very susceptible to being influenced by our emotions and feelings, and art and literature both affect these two things. People often fall to the popular stereotype of the Chinese and Japanese people being rash and unloving. "Dreaming of Li Po" by Tu Fu, "Analects" by Confucious, Tanka Poetry, and "Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan, prove these statements to be untrue. They impact our perceptions of China and Japan into ones of stark human emotions that everyone around the world can relate to. …show more content…
In the poem "Dreaming of Li Po" by Tu Fu, the first two lines are: "Parting from the dead, I've stifled my sobs,/ but this parting from the living brings me constant pain." Li Po was lost to this individual and it pained them. They knew the pain of losing someone to death, but this new pain of losing someone that is still living is harsh and constant. "Now you are caught in the meshes of the law-/how could you have wings to fly?" This shows that although this person wants to have hope for Li Po, they know that it is unlikely. That alone would cause pain to the loved ones of someone who has lost somebody to their own wrongdoings. Add to that the fact that they sent away, the pain would be terrible. These people feel and think the same as