A POET I Like

Su Dongpo is a Chinese poet whom I admire. He was a literacy leader in the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty. He made great achievements in poetry, ci, writing and painting. I not only admire his talent, but also deeply admire his resilience.

When Su Dongpo was young, he was once a local official in Suzhou. At that time, there was a flood disaster, and many rich people refused to provide relief, he took the trouble to go door to door and did his damnedest to persuade them. Under his efforts, the rich people resisted the flood together.

Su Dongpo’s tenacity is also reflected in his attitude towards his own life fate. In his middle age, Su Dongpo was banished to a remote place because of his political disagreement. He did not sink, but wrote a lot of poems about life. He described his life as “like a little ant under a millstone and a feather in a whirlwind”. Although he had been demoted many times, every time he went to a place, no matter how bad the environment was and how difficult the situation was, the optimistic and open-minded Su Dongpo could always quick integrate into the local area.

A great poet has to suffer a lot. Perhaps it is the hardships of life that shaped Su Dongpo into such a resilient poet. Whenever I encounter setbacks, I often think of his timeless verses such as “With a bamboo staff and straw sandals, I stroll lighter than on horseback. Through mist and rain, I live life as it comes.”, which bring comfort to my soul and inspire me to embrace life with a smile.