PO CHÜ-I BY: ELIJAH MASTINU ATERRIYAH REEVE WILLIAM JUDKINS

THE LIFE OF PO CHÜ-I -BORN IN 772 AND PASSED AWAY IN PO WAS BORN WHEN CHINA HAD FOREIGN INVASIONS AND INTERNAL STRIFE. -DURING HIS TIME, HE FELT VERY SHOOK UP ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING SO HE WROTE POEMS TO SPEAK ABOUT BEING AGAINST THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT HIS COUNTRY. -IN 883, PO WAS FORCED TO RETIRE HIS JOB AS A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL AT AGE 61 BECAUSE OF HIS ILLNESS. HOWEVER, HE KEPT WRITING POETRY UNTIL HE WAS LITERALLY UNABLE TO WRITE.

PO CHÜ-I AND HIS RELIGION. -The Buddist, Po Chü-I, is a smart man who becomes a government official because he was intelligent, But his illness gets him out of there. -Meanwhile, through the illness, Po Chü-I writes these poems called “Sick Leave” and “At the End of Spring”. -In “Sick Leave” he talks about the shame upon him that the “World’s dust” has been covering his Buddist culture/life. -“At the End of Spring” the mistaking Taoism religion tells you to not to live in the moment. But to know you’re going to die. Therefore not living life to the fullest.

“SICK LEAVE” In the story “Sick Leave”, Po Chü-I is under a deep illness, but through the poets motivation he keeps writing. He talks about how his life as been covered up by daily tasks and duties of the normal world. Where the religion Buddhism needs full devotion and to not be in that “World dust” as said by him. Po Chü-I believes that when he saw the White Mountain rise, he felt shame due to the things he has done to cover it up.

“AT THE END OF SPRING” In this poem, Po talked about the rotation of the seasons, and how they tied to the Taoist belief. Taoist believe that you should live life knowing that you’ll die. But Po believes you should live in the moment and it joined. Taoist life, by Po’s interpretation, is a life not well enjoyed and being to be isolated from the world.

LITERARY FEATURES In both poems, “Sick Leave” and “At the End of Spring” there are two symbols. The first one is in “Sick Leave” and Po talks about seeing a White Mountian. The mountain representing a holy place as a Buddist. And when Po looked at it as he was in deep illness, he felt shame as his life was getting in the way of his religion. In “At the End of Spring”, the pear tree symbolizes the start of spring, The swallows symbolize spring as well.

QUIZ TIME You should be able to answer all questions!

QUIZ 1)When was Po Chu-I born? A) 772 B) 846 C) 2014 D) 696

QUIZ 2) What job was Po Chu-I forced to quit because of a illness? A) Janitor B) Government Official C) Dictator D) Tax Accessor

QUIZ 3) In 833, why was he forced to retire his job? A) Mental Disorder B) Diabetes C) Coma D) illness

QUIZ 4) How long did he write his poems? A) He wrote until he couldn’t anymore B) 5 years C) Until the government forced him to stop D) 1 year

QUIZ 5) Where was Po Chu-I born? A) Japan B) North Korea C) China D) Thailand

QUIZ 6) What does the poem, “Sick Leave” trying to say to the reader? A) That he, Po, was a happy man B) That Po was ill, and felt shame to the White Mountian(Buddism)

QUIZ 7) In a sentence, in the poem “Sick Leave” what does “ But the clouds that hover on its far distant peak/Bring shame to a face that’s buried in the “Worlds dust”? A) That Po felt happy. B) Po was embarrassed and shameful for letting the world take over his life. C) Po was upset with the Taoists belief and it created the “Worlds dust”

QUIZ 8) What religion is expressed in his poems? A) Christianity and Judiasm B) Islamic and Hinduism C) Buddism and Taoism D) Baptists and Methodists

QUIZ 9) What were the names of the two poems Po Chu- I wrote? A) “Sick Leave” and “At the End of Spring” B) “South Park” and “Family Guy” C) “Jade Flower Palace” and “Loneliness” D) “The River Merchant’s Wife: A Letter, In the Mountians on a Summer Day”

QUIZ 10) What religion does Po Chu-I disagree with in the poem, “At the End of Spring”: A)Hinduism B) Buddism C) Taoism D) Musilimanity

THE END