Bei Dao’s poem “Recollection” Analysis

I will be using Bei Daos poem Recollection to lay d experience how his intent of tomography and writing style can give a simple poem written during a time of political turmoil in mainland China during the 1970s can have so much more in depth meaning as well as how his poetry baffles critics. The title of the poem, Recollection, suggests to readers an act of memorialisation or reminiscence of something, some one, or a sequence of events that Bei Dao wants/hopes to elaborate and tell his readers about.Here, the title of the poem does non indicate a simple reminiscence, but inspection and repair a far deeper meaning and purpose as well as a grasp of experience. One is unable to analyze and under subscribe exactly wherefore Bei Dao uses Recollection as a title, as the title acts as a form of teasing and attraction for the reader to follow through and read the powerful spoken communication which atomic number 18 written down word for word hear and visualize the imaginativeness t hat is created within.As one reads through the poem word for word, Bei Daos use of imagery is instantly caught, as the poem is based solely on the imagery of visualization and sound. Candle prosperous / flickers on each face / leaving non a trace / the shadows spray / strikes the white wall lightly. Throughout these five lines in the poem, each line contains at least on word that accentuates and gives readers an image, i. e. light, flickers, trace, spray, strikes, white. Here, the imagery of visualization Bei Dao creates for his readers leaves them pondering about in a unrealistic state of mind, where readers are able to understand that Bei Dao is using his imagination to portray a deeper message perhaps.The visual imagery here can be confiscated in with the title as the visual images are pleasant, which hints the recollection of a pleasant and pure spectator that which the poet himself has encountered with different people (faces) on several occasions, although these people se em not to leave a trace which hints the numerous amounts of people the poet might have encountered with to emphasize his connection with all those he has come into contact with.Read also Critical appreciation of the poem Old Ladies Home.As Recollection was written during a time of change and revolution, along with our understanding of how Bei Dao opposed the Maoist society, the first five lines use of unrealistic/imaginative imagery along with how these five lines tie in with the title, can suggest the numerous amounts of people who felt the same way about the changing society of China.Thus, the use of the unrealistic/imaginative linguistic communication creating this visual imagery is not stating that these encounters are in the poets head, but were most and very possibly true events the people whom the poet has come into contact with are those who are true people, people who are unable to be contained and still have their own free thoughts, feelings as well as emotions the unrea listic and imaginative demote being the Chinese government that was reshaping and reforming its people in hope that all would think like a Maoist where freedom of thought, speech, etceterawas suppressed.Here, the poet, Bei Dao is simply arguing that stifling of thought, speech, freedom, etc are unrealistic achievements that the government is pressing for, for they will never succeed. Directly following the use of visual imagery, after the fifth line in the poem, one might notice how the imagery and tone, shifts in a very smooth, eloquent, and contained matter. the guitar hanging from the wall / begins to sound in the darkness / like the masthead light reflected in water / stealing whispers.Like the first five lines previously discussed, the use of imagery is crucial, however instead of using just visual imagery here, Bei Dao adds in sound. The guitar mentioned in line 5 is a hint of sound, as it can also have deeper meaning Bei Dao continues his use of words to symbolize sounds su ch as whispers, etc. nd seems to get more serious in contrast to his pleasant tone from before. The new tactic where Bei Dao uses the addition of sound affects to his visual imagery creates a more in depth and less constrained opinion based on the people and the Maoist society in retrospect, the peoples opinions towards the Maoist society as they seem to be speaking up for themselves after being suppressed for so long.This is caught as Bei Dao uses more powerful imagery, tying in both imaging and sound i. e. begins to sound in the darkness, darkness merely representing the suppression of the people, and begins to sound to emphasize that his encounter with all these people have shown him something different, as they seem to be starting to stand up for themselves by sharing opinions, which by itself is going against this darkness.Subsequently/Next, Bei Dao gets more serious about the issue as he states like the masthead light reflected in water, the masthead light representing all th e people in China, and the reflected water being a mere representation of purity and innocence or a ripple affect, symbolize how all the people who are suppressed seem to realize their own rights and are slowly starting to rub off on one other as more and more people get influenced and start fighting for themselves and their own freedom and happiness. Notice, how drastic the change is from the beginning of the poems first five lines to the poems utmost(a) four lines.Although the first five lines of the poem is focused on the visual images that briefly gives its readers an understanding of what he, as a poet is trying to express in his own words, mind-set, and understanding towards society/things from his own experience one can see how the visual images tie in with sound, creating an even more dramatic and strong wound up effect, just like his encounters with people during the time of the Chinese revolution when China was a Maoist society where people were being forced into suppr ession.Bei Daos tactic and use of visual imagery ties in with sound to create and tell a story of what he had experienced, along with the millions of other Chinese, as he uses Recollection to represent not only himself who suffered, but all citizens. Here, Bei Dao uses the creativity, tone, language, trope and theme of this poem to emphasize and be a representative of all the people who were stuck in a Maoist society, as he states the peoples capacity for freedom and their uprising and realization that suppression is acknowledged, however not and will never be achieved.