Miscellaneous Poems of Ji Hai

Gong Zizhen

The vitality of Kyushu relies on wind and thunder,

It is sad that thousands of horses are silent.

I urge God to cheer up and send talents of any kind.

Translation Only the huge force like the agitation of wind and snow can make the land of China full of vitality. However, it is ultimately a tragedy for the subjects of the government and the public to remain silent. I advise the Emperor of Heaven to regain his spirit and not stick to certain standards and send down more talents.

Appreciation This is an excellent political poem. The whole poem has clear levels, divided into three levels: the first level describes the lifeless real society where thousands of horses and horses are silent, and the government and the public are silent. On the second level, the author points out that in order to change this dull and decadent outlook, we must rely on the huge power of wind and thunder. It is a metaphor that China must undergo tremendous social changes to become vibrant. On the third level, the author believes that such power comes from talents, and what the court should do is to recommend talents out of the norm. Only in this way can China have hope. The poem uses subjective images with majestic characteristics such as "Kyuzhou", "Wind and Thunder", "Ten Thousand Horses" and "Tiangong", which are profound in meaning and majestic.