Notes

Perspective on life depends on one's status quo. People from different cultures have different values of certain aspects of life, and different ways to express themselves. The people of Ancient China used poetry as their medium of expression. The Chinese Anchor Book of Poetry edited and translated by Chou Ping and Tony Barnstone shows the aspects the Chinese valued in their lives. Through reading this anthology of poems, I have developed a deeper understanding of what's important in life.
Nature was very prominent in Ancient China. In the Book of Songs, "White Moonrise" is a canticle to the moon, admiring its beauty. The narrator glorifies the moon, saying "The rising moon / is your bright beauty binding me in spells / till my heart's devoured" (7). The Chinese valued nature so much they deified it. This devotion to nature led me to reflect on my relationship with nature. Personally, I don't enjoy being in the outdoors. I like to spend my time indoors, whether it be entranced on a phone or computer screen, or hooked on a book. After reading these poems and seeing how important nature was to the Chinese, I challenged myself to put my screens and book down and take walks more often, admiring the beauty of this world.
Simplicity