Wanglu Mountain Waterfall

Li Bai [Tang Dynasty]

The incense burner produces purple smoke in the sunshine, and the waterfall hangs in front of the river.

Flying down three thousand feet, it is suspected that the Milky Way has fallen into the sky.

This poem vividly depicts the majestic scenery of Lushan Waterfall and reflects the poet's infinite love for the great rivers and mountains of the motherland.

The first sentence "The sun shines on the incense burner and produces purple smoke." "Xianglu" refers to Xianglu Peak in Lushan Mountain. This peak is located in the northwest of Lushan Mountain. It is pointed and round in shape, like an incense burner. As the waterfall cascades and the water vapor evaporates upward, under the bright sun, it seems as if there is an incense burner standing high in the sky and slowly rising clouds of purple smoke. The word "生" vividly depicts the scene of rising smoke and clouds. This sentence sets a majestic background for the waterfall, and also adds to the atmosphere for the direct description of the waterfall below.

The second sentence "Looking at the waterfall Kageqianchuan from a distance". The four words "looking at the waterfall from a distance" echo the title "Wanglu Mountain Waterfall". "Kakezengawa" means that the waterfall is like a huge white chain hanging straight from the cliff to the river in front. The word "hang" turns movement into stillness, vividly describing the waterfall in the distance.

The first two sentences of the poem are written from a broad perspective, summarizing the panoramic view: the purple smoke is lingering on the top of the mountain, the mountains are hanging white, and the rapids are rushing below the mountain, forming a gorgeous and magnificent picture.

The third sentence "Flying down three thousand feet" is a swaying stroke and each word is sonorous and powerful. The word "fly" describes the scene of the waterfall gushing out very vividly; the word "straight down" not only describes the height and steepness of the mountain, but also shows the rapidity of the water flow, and the unstoppable plummeting from high in the sky is as if it is before your eyes.

The poet still felt that it was not enough, and then wrote another sentence: "It is suspected that the Milky Way has fallen into the sky." It really wants to fall outside the sky, which is shocking to the soul. "Suspected yes" is worth savoring. The poet clearly said it in a daze, and the readers knew it was not the case, but they all felt that only writing in this way would be more vivid and realistic. The mystery lies in the fact that the poet's previous description has already given birth to this idea. An image. The towering Xianglu Peak is hidden in the clouds and mist. Looking at the waterfall from a distance, it looks like it is flowing down from the clouds and falling in the sky. This naturally makes people think that it is like a Milky Way falling from the sky. It can be seen that although the metaphor "suspected of the Milky Way falling into the sky" is strange, it does not come out of thin air in the poem, but arises naturally from the depiction of the image.

This poem uses metaphor, exaggeration and imagination extremely successfully, with a unique conception and vivid, concise and bright language. Su Dongpo admired this poem very much and said, "The emperor sent the emperor to the Milky Way, and in ancient times there were only poems to banish immortals." The "exiled immortal" is Li Bai. "Wanglu Mountain Waterfall" is indeed an example of describing scenery and expressing emotions through objects. ?