Madly Singing in the Mountains Passage analysis ➢ The narrator is a lone poet exiled from his home ➢ The poet admits his weakness is writing poetry ➢ In exile, he finds joy and inspiration in nature ➢ He sings his poems alone in the mountain ➢ Animals listen but people are absent ➢ Afraid of being ridiculed, he embraces solitude and creativity Summary Context : JuyiBai, writer and exile ➢ Influential poet and writer during the Tang dynasty ➢ Exiled to Hsün - yang (Xinyang) after offending politicians by his poems ➢ Lived in quiet isolation during that period ➢ Period of reflection that shaped many of his most famous works In Madly Singing in the Mountains, Bai Juyi uses introspection, imagery of nature, and the theme of isolation to separate himself from the rest of humanity, revealinghow poetry becomes both a source of joy and a mark of alienation for him, and showing that true artistic freedom often comes forth from solitude Table of Contents Introspection Poetry as his calling Nature imagery Cassia tree and white rocks Isolation True art coming forth from isolation 01 02 03 “The is no one among men that has not a special failing / And my failing consists in writing verses” ( Waley 144) “ “ Bai Juyi presents poetry as both his weakness and his identity → Creativity defines and isolates him He calls his talent a “failing,” → Humbles himself but also implies that art is a compulsion he cannot escape, separating him from ordinary men 1. JuyiBai explores how writingpoetry is intrinsically part of his individual identity, and is also what separates him from others “I lean my body on the banks of white stone / I pull down with my hands a green cassia branch ” ( Waley 144) “ In Chinese culture : ❖ Vitality ❖ Perpetual growth → His growth as a poet in his newfound environment Symbolism Cassia tree ❖ Purity, renewal ❖ In Chinese calligraphy, white is used as a background for writing to enhance the beauty and meaning of the words → His new environment serves to enhance his writing and poetry Symbolism W hite stone 2. By usingnaturalistic symbolism, JuyiBai highlights how his new environment, impregnated with solitude, bolsters and nourishes his creative flow “My mad singing startles the valleys and hills / The apes and birds all come to peep / Fearing to become a laughing - stock to the world / I choose a place that is unfrequented by men” ( Waley 144) “ Close reading T he Cost of Artistic Freedom “My mad singing” Captures social estrangement → Passionate art perceived as madness “The apes and birds” Not a human audience → Alienation from others “Fearing to become a laughing - stock” Fear of being misunderstood → Aware of his societal rejection and choses solitude ❖ Bai Juyi turns solitude into inspiration for creativity ❖ Nature reflects his artistic rebirth ❖ Writing becomes a way to connect with his inner self ❖ His poetry shows that true artistry often requires isolation ❖ Society’s misunderstanding of his art deepens his individuality ❖ Consequently, Bai Juyi suggest that isolation, though painful, is essential for authentic growth, artistic and personal Conclusion ○ Eberhard, Wolfram. Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought . Routledge, 2015. ○ Britannica Editors. "Bai Juyi". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Jan. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bai - Juyi. ○ Lin, Cindy. “Bai Juyi’s Poetry as a Common Culture in Pre - Modern East Asia.” University of Toronto , 2012, https://utoronto.scholaris.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/33f3 bd17 - ab4f - 4ee9 - 945b - cc030d6ec9dc/content. B ibliography