Fish Yearns for Freedom Deep | Generated by AI
Question: Which of the following elements from the poem “Return to Dwelling in the Garden and Fields” (Part I) uses personification?
Answer:
The correct answer is B: 池鱼 (Pond Fish).
Analysis of the Personification
In Tao Yuanming’s poem, the line featuring the pond fish is:
“羁鸟恋旧林，池鱼思故渊。” (The caged bird longs for its old forest; the pond fish yearns for its native deep.)
- Personification (拟人): The poet uses the verb “思” (to yearn/think/miss), which is a human emotion and cognitive action. By attributing the feeling of nostalgia and the conscious desire for freedom to the fish, the poet is using personification.
- Symbolism: Both the “caged bird” and the “pond fish” serve as metaphors for the poet himself. Just as the fish feels trapped in a man-made pond and longs for the vastness of the “deep” (nature), Tao Yuanming felt trapped by his official government position and longed for the simplicity of rural life.
Why the other options are incorrect
- A & C (榆柳 & 桃李): These refer to the elms, willows, peaches, and plums planted around the house. In the poem, they are described objectively to set the scene: “榆柳荫后檐，桃李罗堂前。” (Elms and willows shade the back eaves; peach and plum trees are lined before the hall.) No human emotions are attributed to them here.
- D (鸡鸣): While “chickens crowing” (“鸡鸣桑树颠”) involves an action, it is a natural biological behavior for a rooster and does not carry the same “human-like” emotional intent or psychological longing that “yearning” (思) does.
Would you like me to analyze the structural parallels or the symbolic meaning of other metaphors in this poem?