On Hearing Her Play the Harp

REYES, Joselle Marie R. June 4, 2013

HUMALIT C37

On Hearing Her Play the Harp

Discussion Questions

1. Upon reading Li Tuan’s poem, I had to reread it over and over in order to create a more vivid picture in my mind. I then started to visualize that the woman, as white as the snow on her window pane, was holding a harp. She is in a room with high ceilings, like the ones we see in a palace in Chinese movies, filled with beautiful art such as sculptures, jars, and paintings. The room is laid out with wooden floors which are more or less being polished daily by the helpers since it could almost reflect the light which passes through the windows. The room also has a tall window which leads to its balcony, overlooking a meadow and a lake. On one side of the room is a couch which is rather uncomfortable to sit on since it is not that soft but it is covered with a beautiful golden canvas intricately embroidered with flowers and leaves. In front of the couch is a red wooden coffee table which beautifully accents the lightness of the colors of the room and the couch. The lights coming through the window were reflected by the precious vases made of china placed on the edges of the room. A small trace of steam is escaping through the spout of a white teapot sitting on the coffee table. Beside the teapot is a small cup filled with hot tea. The room she is in is so grand, maybe because she is of royal blood, or maybe because she is playing the harp for Chou Yu. I really don’t know as of the moment. However, it was mentioned that the poem was written during the T’ang dynasty. Those years were described as one of the greatest and most successful periods of China, second to Han dynasty. This fact influenced my mind when visualizing the setting of the poem. While reading the poem, the main picture that popped in my head was a woman in a bright room since the light is being bounced back and forth by the floor and porcelains around in the room. It was also during...