Known to have a strange personality and alcohol problems, Li Bo writes interesting poems and seeks for freedom from the social convention and reality limits. An example is shown through “South of the Walls We Fought.” He mentions about the hardships of the warriors’ deaths as well as criticize the warfare in the north and northwest parts of China against the Tibetans. He says “Beacon fires blaze without ceasing,/ the marching and battle never end./ They died in fighting on the steppes,/ their vanquished horses neigh,/ mourning to the sky./ Kites and ravens peck men’s guts,/ fly with them dangling from their beaks/ and hang them high/ on boughs of barren trees.” (lines 14-22). He describes the gruesomeness of the battle through the example of the birds picking the soldiers’ guts. The detail about dragging the guts and hanging them on the tree enhances the cruelty of the birds. They probably keep the guts for extra food, but overall the after effect of the battle is very violent. The description of the horses is an addition to the horrible deaths of the men. The author displays the brutality of the continuous battle. He mentions about his opinion of weapons: “Now I truly see that weapons/ are evil’s tools:/ the Sage will use them only/ when he cannot do otherwise.” (25-28). I find an ambiguous part in that the author just realized that the weapons inflict harm to people. Weren’t weapons in battle always having a meaning of death in the first place? And if the Sage has no other choices in a situation except using a weapon as self-defense, then shouldn’t this action be seen as good rather than evil?
Du Fu, another great Chinese poet, has an interesting poem “Spending the Night in a Tower by the River.” It seems like the author has many thoughts: “No sleep for me. I worry over battles./ I have no strength to right the universe.” (7-8). Perhaps he is looking for peace not war. How can a single man impact the world? Shouldn’t there be a larger group of people to accomplish the goal?
I also agree that the ravens pecking at the gut’s of the men that have died in battle is a way Li Bo reflects the violence of the battle. I also feel like he is trying to create the feeling of disgust in the way he describes the bird’s pecking at the guts. I believe this feeling which was also mixed with sorrow and anger, was the way he felt towards this scene. I also feel like he is using the imagery of the birds hanging the guts on the tree to reflect a certain message or idea. What is the true meaning of this part of the poem other then the birds saving the guts for food? The battle was an eye opener for Li Bo and his perspective on weapons has changed now that he has seen the harm and evil it can cause.
The way I felt was that it seems like Li Bo wanted to be truthful about what was going on. He seemed to be a precursor to the war corespondent which we see placed with military units today. It makes me think of the Spanish Civil War. This is mainly because in the Spanish Civil War, there were many famous writers and correspondents, such as Fredrico Lorca, Ernest Hemingway, and George Orwell among others, joined up thinking they were helping to fight the good fight. Eventually they saw first hand the horrors of war, and while still supported the Anti-Facist forces, regretted seeing so much death and destruction.
This is a similar feeling I got when I read that selection by Li Bo, he still supported his side, but was also truthful of the horrors he saw.
In response to your question, how can one man change the world? I think what Du Fu means by his lack of strength is that he doesn’t have a mindset to change the world but rather sees it for what it is. He exists in that poem only as a outside party looking in from a distance and in what can only be assumed is that he is appalled by what he has come to see. Du Fu’s use of the terms “visible darkness” and “wild dogs and wolves” demonstrates that he only sees bad but his presence alone isn’t enough to change the world. To sum it up, Du Fu doesn’t seek change rather he is only a spectator in the evils of the world.