One-word poem

Qing Dynasty: Chen Hang

One sail, one oar, one fishing boat,

One fisherman, one hook.

Looking down and laughing,

One river has bright moon and one river has autumn.

Translation

On the vast blue waves, I saw a fishing boat paddling in the distance. The fisherman was holding a fishing hook and was filled with joy when he caught a fish. The sky is really blue, the moon is shining brightly, and the river is full of autumn colors. Extended information

Creative background

"One-word poem" refers to a poem that contains some kind of word play. The word "一" has the fewest strokes, but with clever arrangement by the poet, it can turn the ordinary into magical. "One-Character Poetry" uses multiple "one" characters, which are really well-proportioned and have good meanings. They have many meanings such as "only", "one", "man", and "complete".

Chen Hang looked around and saw the autumn waves in the center of the river rippling with the waves. Chen Hang had an idea and wrote this poem immediately. The captain and the scholars all over the ship clapped their hands and praised him, and happily gave up their seats for Chen Hang to sit down. Later, Chen Hang not only passed the provincial examination, but also won the Jinshi title, won the first prize, and went to Sichuan to supervise the censor.

In the 24th year of Jiaqing, after Chen Hang won the first prize, he was awarded the Imperial Academy to compile and compile. In the first year of Daoguang (1821), Chen Hang served as the chief examiner of the Guangdong Provincial Examination. In the third year of Daoguang's reign, he served as the examiner of the imperial examination. Soon, he was transferred to the censorship of Sichuan Road. Chen Hang was friendly with Wei Yuan Zhongshu in the capital. Some people say why should you lose your status and associate with people who are not as valuable as you?

Chen Hang did not listen to what others said and became close friends with Wei Yuan, regardless of his humble official position. Wei Yuan also admired Chen Hang very much. The old man said that Chen Hang was as good as gold and stone. In fact, Chen Hang's poetry has long been famous throughout the country. Many people came to contact him, and he was very careful in making friends. Chen Hang also gave lectures and discussions with Dong Guifu, Yao Xueshuang, Gong Zizhen, etc., and had close contacts. In the sixth year of Daoguang's reign, he died in office.

Chen Hang has a pure character and is filial to his parents. His mother became ill and he became disfigured. He prepared medicine in the morning and evening and served him endlessly; he often even thought of abandoning his official position and going home to serve his relatives. Chen Hang's literary talent is outstanding, his poems are unique, he is knowledgeable, he has a good grasp of classics and history, and he has a comprehensive understanding of everything. He believes that "the way to learn is to be quiet and virtual, and to be profound and dense."

Although this "One-word Poem" was composed impromptu, it was vividly written on the vast blue waves. In the distance, a fishing boat was seen paddling out. The fisherman was holding a fishing hook and fishing. The scene of being filled with joy after catching a fish. The sky is really blue, the moon is shining brightly, and the river is full of autumn colors.

The poem uses ten "one" characters, which are really well-proportioned and have good meanings. They have many meanings such as "only", "one", "man", and "complete". Each "one" has a distinct image, describing people and objects, lifelike and poetic.