The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter - A poem by Ezra Pound

Ezra Pound - The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter

After Li Po

While my hair was still cut straight 
     across my forehead
I played at the front gate, pulling
     flowers.
You came by on bamboo stilts, playing
     horse,
You walked about my seat, playing with
     blue plums.  
And we went on living in the village of 
     Chokan:
Two small people, without dislike or 
     suspicion.  

At fourteen I married My Lord you.
I never laughed, being bashful.
Lowering my head, I looked at the wall.
Called to, a thousand times, I never
     looked back.

At fifteen I stopped scowling, 
I desired my dust to be mingled with
     yours
Forever and forever and forever.
Why should I climb the lookout?

At sixteen you departed,
You went into far Ku-to-en, by the river
     of swirling eddies,
And you have been gone five months.
The monkeys make sorrowful noise 
     overhead.

You dragged your feet when you went 
     out,
By the gate now, the moss is grown, 
     the different mosses,
Too deep to clear them away!
The leaves fall early this autumn, in 
     wind.
The paired butterflies are already 
     yellow with August
Over the grass in the West garden;
They hurt me.  I grow older.
If you are coming down through the
     narrows of the river Kiang,
Please let me know beforehand,
And I will come out to meet you
          As far as Cho-fu-sa.

Added: on June 3rd, 2007 at 9:46 PM | Viewed: 14939 times | Comments and analysis of The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter by Ezra Pound Comments (15)

The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter - Comments and Information
Poet: Ezra Pound Poem: The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter Comment 15 of 15, added on February 10th, 2008 at 12:13 PM. this is a exclusive poem regarding the absence of one's lover. how vulnerable a lover can be during the mature period. this poem also shows that if we can't receive the authentic love in a proper time, repentence is obvious. how a lover misses her lover is also illustrated here. Shohag khan khulna from Bangladesh Comment 14 of 15, added on June 5th, 2007 at 10:26 AM. Most of the readers say this poem is translated from the Chinses poet Li Po's ( Bai in Pinyin) work. Yes, there is something close to the story, actually, Pound rewrote the story only. He had driven Li Bai away in his " translation" if it is persistedly called. the line like " they hurt me, i grew older" does not convey what Li Bai expressed. They stands for the "couple yellow butterflies" flying in the beautiful garden. Their loving dancing and one follows the other reminds the speaker of her husband who has departed for business far away. Observing the butterflies and thinking of her own condition hurts her feeling, evoke her missing her beloved. "I grew older" literally means one's aged or becomes a senior. Here in Li Bai's poem, the speaker hates that "time flies". thou it is not so long for their departing, she suffers day and night from thinking her husband. not "my Lord" as Pound's. it is worrying and missing and thinking and loving that makes her seemingly "old". willie from China Comment 13 of 15, added on June 3rd, 2007 at 9:46 PM. I just enjoyed teaching this poem in my literature class here in the school. this poem is full of emotions, and a great way to teach imagery. we had a great class analysis, and kids were eager to share their interpretations with each other. Wilson Cardoza from Ecuador More Comments >> Are you looking for more information on this poem? Perhaps you are trying to analyze it? The poem, The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter, has received 15 comments. Click here to read them, and perhaps post a comment of your own. Of course you can also always discuss poems by Ezra Pound with others on the American Poems poetry forum!

Poem Info
Poet: Ezra Pound Poem: The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter Last read: May 14 2008, 1:54PM Viewed 14939 times. Added on June 3rd, 2007 at 9:46 PM.

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