Li Fu-Jen by Wu-ti

The sound of her silk skirt has stopped.
On the marble pavement dust grows.
Her empty room is cold and still.
Fallen leaves are piled against the doors.
Longing for that lovely lady
How can I bring my aching heart to rest?

translated by Arthur Waley

11 thoughts on “Li Fu-Jen by Wu-ti

  1. what is the theme of this poem?why does the poet used the letter s 4 times in the first stanza?what does the poet trying to say about this poem?how the 1st stanza contrasted to last stanza?

  2. The repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words in poetry is called alliteration. This poem is a lament for the loss of a loved one. He can no longer hear the sound her skirt made when she walked, dust covers the pavement she walked on, her room is empty because she is no longer there. He still longs for her and thus has an aching in his heart. This aching gives him no peace.

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