Reply to Li Shuyi () is a

poem Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...

written on May 11, 1957 by

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...

Li Shuyi Li, li, or LI may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Landscape Institute, a British professional body for landscape architects * Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia, US, that teaches "political tec ...

, a friend of Mao's first wife

Yang Kaihui Yáng Kāihuì (; courtesy name: Yúnjǐn (); 6 November 1901 – 14 November 1930) was the second wife of Mao Zedong, whom he married in 1920. She had three children with Mao Zedong: Mao Anying, Mao Anqing, and Mao Anlong. Her father w ...

and the widow of the executed Communist leader

Liu Zhixun Liu Zhixun (; November 1898 – September 14, 1932), also known as Liu Keming (), was a member of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. He was purged by Communist leader Xia Xi and executed. Biography He was born in Changsha, Hunan Province ...

. In the poem, "poplar" refers to Yang Kaihui, whose surname Yang means "poplar", and who also had been executed; and "willow" is the literal meaning of Liu's surname.

Wu Gang Wu Gang (), formerly romanized as Wu Kang and also known as Wu Zhi in some sources,Eberhard, Wolfram. ''Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought''pp. 76 ff Routledge & Kegan Paul (London), 2013. Accessed 12 Novem ...

is a man who, according to Chinese legend, lives on the

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

, and was forced by the gods to fell a

laurel tree Laurel is part of the English common name of many trees and other plants, particularly those of the laurel family (''Lauraceae''). Most laurels are highly poisonous. Plants called "laurel" include:See article for additional common names. * Alexan ...

forever.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reply To Li Shuyi Chinese poems 1957 poems Works by Mao Zedong