Mayfly Poem Analysis

When reading a poem e.g. Mayfly (the poem being analyzed in this essay) from the Shijing, it is imperative to ponder Kongzi’s intention in giving a certain poem a place in the compilation, since these poems have no direct authorial voice. They also, therefore, lend themselves to myriad interpretations during analysis. It needs to be noted that the Shijing is part of Kongzi’s Five Classics, and therefore a poem in the Shijing represents a meta-fragment of sorts; upon analysis it showcases certain facets of the concepts encompassed in the book, rather than completely formed concepts. Mayfly is a typical example of classical Chinese poetry; the words possesses both predominant and subsidiary meanings that lend themselves to various interpretations, and the effects of the auditory and visual stylistic and literary devices present in the poem are flexible enough to accommodate numerous analyses; this will be made evident in the course of this essay.
The first approach to this poem is the Romantic perspective. The motif of a mayfly connotes transience and vulnerability since a mayfly’s …show more content…
Cao, a small state in Shandong, was absorbed by a larger state, Song, in seventh century B.C., and hence enjoyed only a brief period of freedom and autarky. This once again harkens the notion of transience represented by the mayfly showcasing the fleeting and impermanent nature of true independence of a state or empire in history since no rule lasts for an infinite period. The recurring motif of ‘wings of the mayfly’ in this poem also serves as a symbol of freedom that is lost, resembling Cao’s wings of freedom that are clipped due to its annexation by a larger, predatorial state. Hence this poem could be voiced by a citizen of Cao longing for the freedom of his/her homeland but the aforementioned hopelessness in tone indicates that this is