Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BLAMING SONS (AN APOLOGY FOR HIS OWN DRUNKENNESS), by T'AO CH'IEN Poet's Biography First Line: White hair covers my temples Last Line: What can I do but fill my cup? Alternate Author Name(s): T'ao Yuan-ming; Tao Yuanming; Tao Qian Subject(s): Alcoholism & Alcoholics; China - Early Period (to 200 B.c.); China - Middle Ages (600 B.c.- 618 A.d.); Sons | ||||||||
WHITE hair covers my temples, I am wrinkled and seared beyond repair, And though I have got five sons, They all hate paper and brush. A-shu is eighteen: For laziness there is none like him. A-hsuan does his best, But really loathes the Fine Arts. Yung-tuan is thirteen, But does not know "six" from "seven." T'ung-tzu in his ninth year Is only concerned with things to eat. If Heaven treats me like this, What can I do but fill my cup? | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE LATEST INJURY by SHARON OLDS PRAYER DURING A TIME MY SON IS HAVING SEIZURES by SHARON OLDS TWO SONGS OF PEACE: 1 by YEHUDA AMICHAI THE SMALLISH SON by HAYDEN CARRUTH SARAH'S PROMISE by LUCILLE CLIFTON ANY MAN'S ADVICE TO HIS SON by KENNETH FEARING THE RIGHTFUL ONE by DAVID IGNATOW CONTRA MORTEM: THE NOTHING I by HAYDEN CARRUTH |
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