Poetry of a boat in the water

Riverside fisherman

Riverside fisherman

Author: Fan Zhongyan (Song)

People who come to the river often only love perches.

Look at those poor fishermen, floating up and down in the big waves and rocking in the boats.

(meaning)

Pedestrians coming and going on the riverbank only like the delicious perch.

Please look at that small fishing boat. It is in stormy waves from time to time.

People come and go on the river, and you know that perch is delicious and you can eat it to your heart's content. Please pay attention to the fishermen in the stormy waves! Although there is no truth about the danger of fishermen here, readers can fully feel the unspeakable emotions. The metaphor here is more desirable and artistic than the truth.

People coming and going on the river like the delicious perch. Look at the small fishing boat in the river, floating in the wind and waves, visible for a while and invisible for a while.

[Brief analysis]

This poem is simple in language, vivid in image, strong in contrast and intriguing, reflecting the hardships of fishermen's work and arousing people's concern about people's livelihood. The first sentence is about people coming and going on the river bank, which is very lively. The second sentence describes the mentality of people on the shore and reveals the reasons for "communication". The line of sight drawn in the last two sentences indicates that the fishing boat is swaying in the wind and waves, and pay attention to the fishing site. Although the perch is delicious, it is difficult to catch, which expresses the poet's sympathy for the fishermen's sufferings and deeply exhorts the people on the shore who love the beauty of perch. The contrast between "river" and "storm", the two modes of "coming and going" and "leaf boat", and the dynamics of "coming and going" show the theme of the whole poem.