Chapter 9, Image Contrast: (Part Two)

Contrast and Setting Off

(Contrast and to set off)

Section One, The Definition and Function of Setting Off

I. Setting Off: Opposite Juxtaposition

“In language, the rhetorical method of placing two different things, especially opposite concepts or facts, side by side for comparison, thereby strengthening the tone and making the meaning clearer, is called ‘setting off.’” 1 “In order to highlight the principal object, similar, related, or opposite things are used as a background for emphasis.” 2 The creator employs rich imagination and, through associative contrast, juxtaposes two things, scenes, or concepts that are similar, opposing, or related in nature, revealing them side by side, or uses the secondary to set off the primary, allowing them to mutually describe and reflect one another, thereby highlighting meaning, deepening emotion, and giving readers a vivid impression.

II. The Definition and Function of Setting Off

1. Definitions and Explanations in Academic Circles

The Dictionary of Examples of Rhetorical Methods states: “A rhetorical method in which two related or opposing aspects of things or meanings, or two aspects of the same thing, are placed together so that they mutually set off and contrast each other; it is also called ‘contrastive support’ or ‘atmospheric enhancement.’” 3 Poet and scholar Hsiao Hsiao says: “‘Setting off’ differs from ‘atmospheric enhancement’; it is a method that uses opposite or contrasting things to reflect or set off the subject and the truth. If two opposite things are used, it is called ‘reverse setting off’; if two contrasting things are used, it is called ‘paired setting off.’ These are forms of support between two objects. If two opposite or contrasting viewpoints are simultaneously used to describe one person or one thing, it is called ‘double setting off.’” 4 Scholar Huang Li-chen says: “Two related, contrasting, or opposing things, or two related, contrasting, or opposing aspects of the same thing, are presented together so that they mutually describe, reflect, and set off one another, thereby expressing profound implications or strengthening a principle; under this method of contrast, people are left with a deep impression.” 5

Synthesizing the viewpoints of the above scholars, the author attempts to summarize from the perspectives of psychology and aesthetics as follows:

The creator employs rich imagination and, through associative contrast, juxtaposes two opposing things, scenes, or concepts, revealing them side by side, or uses the secondary to support the primary, thereby highlighting meaning, deepening emotion, and giving readers a vivid impression.

The functions of setting off are: (1) using one thing to set off another, making the supported object more vivid and prominent. (2) using scenery to set off emotion, making emotional expression deeper and fuller. (3) using the negative to set off the positive, revealing the good and bad, kindness and evil, beauty and ugliness of things, facilitating the distinction between right and wrong, and strengthening persuasiveness. 6

II. The Historical Origins of Setting Off

In early Chinese poetry, “setting off” was already widely used in “contrastive” (parallel relationship) and “supportive” (primary-secondary relationship) expressions in order to strengthen the moving power of literary works. For example, in The Book of Songs, “Xiao Ya · Cai Wei”:

“Formerly when I departed,
The willow trees swayed gently.
Now as I return,
Rain and snow fall thickly.”

Wang Fuzhi, in Jiangzhai Poetry Talks, commented on this poem by saying: “Using joyful scenery to write sorrow, and sorrowful scenery to write joy, doubles the sorrow and joy.” 7 Huang Ching-hsuan analyzed it by saying: “Within sixteen characters in four lines, the change of seasons, the shift of space, and the hurried changes of human affairs, through words of setting off, create a calm contrast. Thus, the loneliness and sorrow of the soldier long stationed away from home are vividly expressed through the contrast of opposite situations.” 8 “Cai Wei” presents a “contrast” of changing scenes across different times in order to convey the vicissitudes within the soldier’s heart.

Another example is “Xiao Ya · Hong Yan”:

“The wild geese fly,
Crying mournfully.
Those wise men
Say that I labor diligently.
Those foolish men
Say that I boast arrogantly.”

Wise and understanding people perceive the suffering of the people, and therefore affirm my hardships and deeds. Foolish and shortsighted people fail to understand the people’s distress, and therefore mistakenly think me arrogant and disrespectful. Wise men and foolish men constitute a “contrast of characters.” Different people often produce completely different views and evaluations regarding the same matter and the same person.

Another example is “Xiao Ya · Bei Shan”:

“Some feast and rest in comfort,
Some exhaust themselves in state affairs;
Some recline idly upon their beds,
Some never cease their travels;
Some know not toil or complaint;
Some lounge leisurely in ease,
Some are burdened with royal duties;
Some indulge joyfully in wine,
Some live in fearful misery;
Some come and go speaking vainly,
Some leave no task undone.”

This poem satirizes the dark politics of the era of King You of Zhou, when good and evil mingled within officialdom and labor was distributed unequally. Thus the poet voiced his indignation. It precisely uses the rhetorical device of “setting off,” employing contrast to highlight the unequal burdens and moral confusion of that era, leaving an especially vivid impression.

Another example is the Eastern Han five-character ancient poem “Ascending the Mountain to Gather Miwu”:

“Ascending the mountain to gather miwu,
Descending the mountain, I met my former husband.
Kneeling long, I asked my former husband:
‘How does the new wife compare?’
‘Though the new wife may be good,
She is not as lovely as the former wife.
Their faces may appear alike,
But her hands are not the same.
The new wife enters through the front gate,
The former wife departs through the side chamber.
The new wife excels at weaving silk,
The former wife excels at weaving plain cloth.
The new wife weaves one bolt a day,
The former wife weaves over five zhang.
Comparing silk with plain cloth,
The new wife is inferior to the former.’”

This poem also adopts the narrative strategy of “character contrast,” using “the new wife’s hands are inferior to the old wife’s” and “the new wife’s silk weaving is inferior to the old wife’s cloth weaving” to set off the theme that “the new wife is not as good as the former.”

In classical poetry, due to the rise of regulated verse, the grammar of “parallelism” gradually gained importance. The rhetorical device of “setting off” is most closely related to “parallelism” in lineage. The “double setting off” within “setting off” and the “antithetical opposition” within “parallelism” often produce ambiguous overlap, resulting in the widespread use of “setting off” in classical poetry as a deliberate arrangement of poetic lines to achieve effects such as: (1) enlivening syntax, (2) creating vivid imagery, (3) deepening artistic conception, and (4) generating linguistic tension.

Many later poets and lyricists produced outstanding works precisely through the expressive technique of setting off:

1. Direct Setting Off

Using similar or related things as support in order to make the main subject more vivid and prominent. For example, Tang dynasty poet Li Bai in “Presented to Wang Lun”:

“Li Bai boarded a boat, about to depart,
When suddenly he heard singing and stamping from the shore.
Though Peach Blossom Pool is a thousand feet deep,
It cannot compare to Wang Lun’s parting affection for me.”

The depth of Peach Blossom Pool is used to set off profound friendship.

Tang poet Li Shangyin in “Untitled”:

“It is hard to meet, and hard as well to part,
The powerless east wind leaves a hundred flowers withered.
The spring silkworm spins silk until death,
The candle burns to ash before tears dry.
At dawn before the mirror she grieves her cloudlike hair has changed,
At night she chants poems and feels the moonlight cold.
There is not far to Penglai Mountain from here,
May the blue bird diligently visit and inquire.”

This poem opens with emotional language and immediately uses scenic language, “the powerless east wind leaves a hundred flowers withered,” to indicate late spring. “The spring silkworm spins silk until death, the candle burns to ash before tears dry.” These two lines are sorrowful scenes within the poem. Through sorrowful scenes directly setting off sorrowful emotion, the poet’s pessimistic mood in “there is not far to Penglai Mountain from here” is highlighted, greatly deepening the emotional impact and achieving the aesthetic effect of using scenery to set off feeling.

Yuan dynasty playwright Ma Zhiyuan in “Heaven-Cleansed Sand – Autumn Thoughts”:

“Withered vines, old trees, evening crows,
Small bridge, flowing water, cottages,
Ancient road, west wind, lean horse,
The setting sun descends westward,
A heartbroken man stands at the edge of the world.”

This Yuan lyric is familiar to most readers. It is the representative work of Ma Zhiyuan’s short lyrics and also a masterpiece among Yuan depictions of natural scenery. Qing scholar Wang Fuzhi in Jiangzhai Poetry Talks said: “The finest lines of ancient poets are mostly scenic language.” He Shang in Zhoushuixuan Ci Quan said: “Whenever one writes confused and lingering emotions, one need only describe scenery.” This Yuan lyric uses scenery to express emotion and has been sung to this day precisely because it deeply grasped the profound principles of these two poetic theorists.

The first three lines naturally and skillfully arrange together nine different yet emotionally similar scenes, creating an extremely desolate atmosphere, thereby leading into the last two lines and highlighting the lonely and desolate image of the traveler beneath the setting sun. A solitary traveler walks alone in the bleak autumn dusk. Before him are miserable withered vines, lonely old trees, and returning crows flying hurriedly across the evening sky. Although there are curved little bridges, clear flowing water, and warm rural homes—beautiful and intimate scenes—none of them are the homeland he longs for. Such scenery stirs endless yearning and sorrow deep within the traveler’s heart. Facing the bleak west wind, his only companion is the lean horse beside him. Gazing into the distant evening sky, the road ahead appears endless and unknowable. He does not know when his wandering life will end, nor when he may return home and reunite with loved ones. Through external scenery, the author embeds emotion within landscape, giving readers a lonely sensation of autumnal desolation. The layers of scenic language are mournfully beautiful and deeply moving.

The first line, “withered vines, old trees, evening crows,” and the third line, “ancient road, west wind, lean horse,” are both sorrowful scenes of decay and desolation. Although the second line inserts a turn that enlivens the syntax, it does not reverse the atmosphere of the entire lyric. From the fourth line onward, the sorrowful scenery continues, implying the grief within the heartbroken traveler. This is precisely the direct setting-off technique of “using sorrowful scenery to support sorrowful emotion.” Through concise scenic language, the author vividly depicts the lonely, bleak, and desolate scenery of a deep autumn dusk, profoundly setting off the traveler’s inexpressible loneliness and sorrow while wandering at the ends of the earth.

1. Reverse Setting Off

Using opposite or contrasting things as a background to support the subject. For example, Southern Dynasties poet Wang Ji in “Entering Ruoye Stream”:

“The cicadas’ noise makes the forest more silent,
The birds’ cries make the mountains more secluded.”

Taken separately, each line is a “reverse setting-off sentence” using motion to support stillness. When connected together in context, they stand as “paired setting-off sentences.” The secluded stillness of the mountains and forests is the subject, while “cicada noise” and “birdsong” are the supporting elements. Precisely because there are cicada noises and birdsongs in the mountains and forests, one can more deeply feel that tranquil detachment and peaceful seclusion, rather than lifeless silence. The vivid imagery of “cicada noise” and “birdsong” deepens the artistic conception, presenting a “stillness within motion” full of vitality. This is an exceptionally skillful use of reverse setting off.

Tang dynasty poet Du Fu in “Five Hundred Words of Reflections While Traveling from the Capital to Fengxian County” wrote:

“Behind vermilion gates, wine and meat rot,
Along the roads lie bones frozen to death.”

These two lines are famous examples of reverse setting off. The first line serves as the supporting element and the second as the subject. The first line reversely sets off the second, reflecting the social conditions during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang: enormous class disparity and wealth inequality. The satire is extremely powerful, and readers profoundly feel Du Fu’s vigorous realism and humanitarian concern for the oppressed. Regarding these lines, scholar Shen Qian commented:

“These two lines are the warning peak of the poem. The extravagance of the aristocracy and the suffering of the common people are condensed through contrastive setting off into only ten characters, leaving an intensely deep impression… Through these two lines, the unfairness of society at that time is concretely presented, expressing a powerful accusation. Du Fu became the ‘Poet Sage’ and ‘Poetic Historian’ for many reasons, but his skillful use of emotionally shocking warning lines is truly one of the key factors.” 9

Another poem by Du Fu, “An Improvised Poem”:

“The river moon is only a few feet from people,
The wind lantern shines into the night nearing the third watch.
Egrets sleep motionless upon the sandbank,
At the stern, leaping fish splash noisily.”

The line “at the stern, leaping fish splash noisily” uses reverse setting off. The first three lines focus on depicting stillness, while this line suddenly depicts movement and sound. It seems to break the tranquil atmosphere, but the reader’s actual feeling is the opposite: using movement to depict stillness makes the stillness even more apparent; using sound to support stillness makes the stillness even more profound.

The great Jin dynasty poet Yuan Haowen in “Farewell at Ying Pavilion” wrote:

“Cold waves ripple gently,
White birds descend leisurely.
The homesick traveler grows anxious,
Yet the world itself remains at ease.”

The rising and falling of the “cold waves” and “white birds” are juxtaposed leisurely scenes (paired setting off). In contrast with the homesick traveler’s anxious haste to return home, they form a contrast between scenery and human emotion. The leisurely state of nature reversely sets off the poet’s urgent longing to return home. The expression is subtle and deeply evocative.

Yuan dynasty poet Bai Pu in “Heaven-Cleansed Sand – Autumn”:

“Lonely village, setting sun, lingering glow,
Light smoke, old trees, cold crows.
A tiny shadow of a flying goose descends,
Green mountains and clear waters,
White grasses, red leaves, yellow flowers.”

“Lonely village, setting sun, lingering glow; light smoke, old trees, cold crows” successively depict six autumn scenes. Words such as “lonely,” “lingering,” and “cold” present a bleak and desolate late-autumn mountain village. Yet suddenly, in the third line, “a tiny shadow of a flying goose descends,” the poem sharply shifts within this decaying and ruined scene, bursting forth with lively vitality. The entire autumn picture, heavy with sorrow, is suddenly transformed into something vivid and animated.

Finally, to strengthen the beautiful and charming autumn scenery in the author’s mind, the poem concludes with “green mountains and clear waters, white grasses, red leaves, yellow flowers,” adding brilliant layers of green, blue, red, white, and yellow to the picture. This inspired reversal creates a strong contrast between the earlier and later scenes, employing precisely the “reverse setting-off” technique in which sorrowful and joyful scenes intermingle.

Within the tranquil lonely village at dusk, wisps of cooking smoke curl upward beneath the setting sun. The lingering glow stretches the shadows of old trees, while crows returning to their nests rest quietly upon the branches. Suddenly, a late-returning bird flies far away within the glow of the evening clouds. As the scene gradually draws closer, lush green mountains, emerald waters, pale reeds, crimson maple leaves, and yellow wildflowers appear one after another. Within the twilight, bright colors press vividly before the eyes, creating scenery that is elegant and enchanting.

1. Paired Setting Off

A form of setting off in which opposite or contrasting things or meanings are placed together. For example, Song dynasty writer Ouyang Xiu in “Qianqiu Sui · Spring Sorrow” wrote:

“The night is long, yet spring dreams are short;
The person is distant, yet the horizon feels near.”

“The night is long, yet spring dreams are short” is a reverse setting-off sentence. “The person is distant, yet the horizon feels near” is also a reverse setting-off sentence. These two reverse setting-off sentences are brought together through “paired setting off.” On one hand, they speak of the endless long night and the briefness of spring dreams; on the other hand, they point out that the beloved is even farther away than the horizon.

Another example is Tang dynasty poet Chen Tao in “Marching West of Longxi”:

“Pitiful bones by the Wuding River,
Still belong to lovers in dreams within their chambers.”

The “bones by the river” and the “lover in dreams” are linked together. The poem depicts a wife in her chamber, unaware that her husband has already died in battle beside the Wuding River and become a heap of white bones, while she still dreams of reunion. This contrast between “reality/imagination” and “soldier/wife” causes the entire poem to surge with deeply shocking tragic power. One “pitiful” and one “still” reveal profound helpless sorrow regarding “war and death,” condensing the poet’s infinite sympathy for the dead soldiers and their families.

Qing dynasty painter Xu Beihong in “Collected Couplets” wrote:

“White horses in autumn winds beyond the frontier,
Apricot blossoms in spring rain south of the Yangtze.”

The first line depicts bleak autumn winds and white horses galloping across the frontier grasslands, presenting the vast scenery of the northern plains. The second line depicts springtime in Jiangnan, where apricot blossoms bloom within rainy mist. These two lines not only present a seasonal contrast between spring and autumn, but also a contrast between frontier grasslands and Jiangnan scenery. Two entirely different temporal and spatial scenes are juxtaposed together through “paired setting off.” The former is filled with masculine vigor, while the latter presents soft and graceful scenery.

1. Double Setting Off

Using two different viewpoints to describe the same person, event, or scenery. For example, Tang dynasty writer Han Yu in “Early Spring Presented to Zhang Shiba of the Ministry of Water” wrote:

“The light rain on the imperial street is moist as butter,
From afar the grass appears green, but up close it is absent.”

“Seen from afar” and “up close it is absent” form a “double setting off” in which the latter overturns the former. As the scene draws nearer, one realizes that the distant greenery disappears upon approach, forming an illusion. This is similar in situation and technique to Wang Wei’s “Zhongnan Mountain”:

“White clouds merge when looking back,
Blue mist disappears when entering it.”

Tang dynasty poet Cui Hu in “Inscribed at the Southern Village of the Capital” wrote:

“On this day last year, within this gate,
Peach blossoms and her face reflected each other’s redness.
I do not know where her face has gone,
Yet peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.”

This poem begins by retrospectively presenting the past scene. In the third line, the brush suddenly turns, pulling time and space back into the present reality and forming overlapping scenes that contrast past and present: the scenery remains unchanged while people and events are no longer the same, producing endless sighs of sorrow. This layered shadow effect is precisely an application of the “double setting-off” technique.

Tang dynasty poet Gao Shi in “Song of Yan” wrote:

“Warriors before the army half dead and half alive,
Beauties beneath the tents still sing and dance.”

This poem recounts General Li Ling’s northern campaign against the Xiongnu, depicting the harsh fighting life of frontier soldiers. The poet emphasizes the ferocity of battle, the harshness of the environment, and sympathy for the border troops. “Song of Yan” merges the desolation of the desert, the intense atmosphere of battle, and the complicated emotions of soldiers into a unified whole, forming a powerful and tragic artistic style possessing the heroic spirit characteristic of frontier poetry.

These two lines in the poem create a sharp contrast through the technique of “paired setting off”: soldiers fight desperately on the front lines, while kings and nobles in the capital indulge in decadent lives of song, dance, and luxury. Readers cannot help but feel profound sympathy and pity for the frontier soldiers, while simultaneously experiencing indignation toward the nobles who peacefully indulge in pleasure.

Another example is Qing dynasty poet Xu Lan in “Leaving the Pass”:

“Behind the horse, peach blossoms;
Before the horse, snow.
How could one leave the pass without turning back?”

A traveler about to journey beyond the frontier sees beautiful spring peach blossoms behind the horse, yet before the horse are bleak northern winds and swirling snow. Faced with these two contrasting landscapes, how could the traveler refrain from turning back again and again?

1. Accompanying (Side) Setting Off

Additional things are attached in order to make the principal object more vivid and prominent. The connection between the accompanying object and the accompanied object must be both close and natural. For example, Tang dynasty poet Bai Juyi in “The Song of the Pipa” wrote:

“When the song ended, even master musicians bowed in submission;
Once her makeup was complete, she was always envied by older women.
The young nobles of Wuling competed to reward her,
For a single song, countless lengths of red silk were bestowed.
Jeweled combs struck time until shattered,
Wine stains spread across blood-red gauze skirts.”

These lines do not directly describe the pipa player’s beauty and unparalleled musical skill. Instead, through indirect side-description, they first point out that her beauty was constantly envied by aging women; “Qiuniang” here broadly refers to women whose youth has faded. Then, through indirect description, the poem depicts how her musical talent received unprecedented enthusiasm and admiration, thereby setting off the extraordinary excellence of her artistry. What is employed here is precisely the technique of “side setting off” (atmospheric enhancement).

The Han Yuefu poem “Mo Shang Sang” states:

“The sun rises in the southeastern corner,
Shining upon the Qin family tower.
In the Qin family there is a beautiful girl,
Who calls herself Luofu.
Luofu delights in mulberry and silkworms,
Gathering mulberry leaves at the southern corner of the city.
Blue silk serves as the basket cords,
Cassia branches serve as basket hooks.
Upon her head is a drooping hairstyle,
In her ears shine pearl earrings.
Patterned silk forms her lower skirt,
Purple silk forms her upper jacket.
Travelers who see Luofu
Lay down their burdens and stroke their beards.
Young men who see Luofu
Remove their hats and adjust their headcloths.
Farmers forget their plows,
Hoeing men forget their hoes.
Returning home, they blame one another in frustration,
All because they sat gazing at Luofu.”

Within these lines, from “travelers who see Luofu” to “all because they sat gazing at Luofu,” the author does not directly describe Luofu’s beauty. Instead, with generous use of language, the poet indirectly unfolds the various amusing and distracted reactions of passersby upon seeing Luofu. All these reactions are caused by Luofu’s beauty. This indirect method of description often possesses considerable persuasive power and is precisely the effect achieved through the technique of “side setting off.”

Another example is Li Bai’s “Viewing Antiquity in Yue”:

“The King of Yue, Goujian, returned after defeating Wu,
His warriors all came home clad in brocade.
Palace maidens, flowerlike, filled the spring halls,
Yet now there are only partridges flying.”

The first three lines depict the prosperity of the past, while the final line pulls the poem back into the present moment. This is the technique of “using the past to set off the present,” conveying that glory and wealth pass like fleeting clouds. Times change and stars shift; only a few partridges still dart back and forth above the ruins of the royal city.

Section Two, The Theoretical Foundations of Setting Off

I. The Psychological Foundation of Setting Off

The “psychological foundation” of setting off derives from “the discrimination of stimulus differences.” When two stimuli of differing degrees appear successively or simultaneously, as long as the difference between them reaches a certain level, humans are able to distinguish them. The greater the difference in stimulus intensity, the easier human recognition becomes. In other words, the differences in stimuli induce a “contrast effect” within human psychology, enabling distinction and recognition. Humanity’s ability to discriminate differences is directly proportional to the intensity of the differences. The stronger the contrast, the more vivid the impression it gives people.

II. The Aesthetic Foundation of the Rhetorical Device of Setting Off

The “aesthetic foundation” of setting off originates from “contrast”: two different things are opposed against one another, such as white and black, spring flowers and autumn moonlight, thereby making their characteristics more obvious. “Green mountains” and “clear waters,” “talented scholar” and “beautiful lady,” are examples of direct opposition. “Light” and “darkness,” “arrogance” and “humility,” are examples of reverse opposition. Although direct and reverse opposition differ, there is no doubt that both arise from associative contrast.

Associative contrast not only reflects the commonality of things, but also reflects their opposing individual characteristics. Opposing characteristics can exist only where there is commonality. For example, darkness and light both belong to “brightness” (their commonality), except the former possesses low brightness while the latter possesses high brightness. Summer and winter are both seasons, except one is hot while the other is cold. Associative contrast enables people to easily perceive the opposing sides of things and plays an important role in understanding and analyzing them.

Contemporary rhetoricians such as Cheng Wei-jun and others summarized many uses of setting off from classical poetry, including: 10

(1) Complementary Colors

For example:

“At sunrise the river flowers are redder than fire,
In spring the river waters are greener than blue dye.”

(Tang dynasty, Bai Juyi, “Recalling Jiangnan”)

Spring sunlight, red flowers, green waters, and blue ripples mutually reflect one another. The colors are brilliant and dazzling, presenting the uniquely charming scenery of the Jiangnan water towns and making people yearn for them.

(2) Mutual Setting Off of Time and Space

For example:

“The immortal of old has ridden the yellow crane away,
Here remains only the Yellow Crane Tower.
Once the yellow crane departed, it never returned,
White clouds for a thousand years drift idly on.
Clear before my eyes are the trees of Hanyang,
Luxuriant grasses cover Parrot Isle.
At sunset, where lies my homeland?
Mist upon the river brings sorrow to the heart.”

(Tang dynasty, Cui Hao, “Yellow Crane Tower”)

The crane has departed and the tower stands empty. The yellow crane and the river tower are two spaces of different scales juxtaposed together. The yellow crane departed never to return, yet the white clouds have drifted leisurely for a thousand years, as though one could hear the long river of time softly flowing by. The vastness of space sets off the passing of time. The ancient trees of Hanyang beside the river and the luxuriant grasses upon Parrot Isle appear during dusk, while the poet sits within a mist-covered boat upon the river, gazing toward his homeland yet unable to find its direction. These are transformations and connections of spatial scenes, forming an interwoven reflection of time and space.

(3) Mutual Setting Off Between Humans and Objects

For example:

“When people are at leisure, osmanthus flowers fall;
The night is still, the spring mountains empty.
The moon rises, startling mountain birds,
Which now and then cry within the spring ravine.”

(Tang dynasty, Wang Wei, “Birdsong Ravine”)

Osmanthus flowers, nighttime, spring mountains, moonlight, birdsong, and spring ravines—within these are sound, color, objects, and scenery, interwoven into a tranquil picture of a spring mountain moonlit night. The poet wanders within it peacefully, the human being and the environment blending together.

(4) Mutual Setting Off Between Objects

For example:

“Last night the rain was sparse, the wind sudden;
Deep sleep could not dispel the lingering wine.
I asked the maid rolling up the curtain,
She replied, ‘The crabapple blossoms remain as before.’
Do you know, do you know?
It should be green leaves flourishing while red flowers fade.”

(Song dynasty, Li Qingzhao, “Ru Meng Ling”)

After a night of storm and wind, the maid answers the mistress by saying, “The crabapple blossoms remain as before.” Yet the mistress does not think so. She feels that the crabapple tree, nourished by rainwater, should now possess even richer greenery, while the red flowers have withered and fallen away. The flourishing green leaves and the thinning red blossoms mutually reflect one another, naturally giving the flower viewer different emotions and reflections.

(5) Mutual Setting Off Between Emotion and Scenery

“For phoenixes once played upon Phoenix Terrace,
The phoenixes departed, the terrace stands empty, while the river flows on.
Flowers and grasses of the Wu palace bury hidden paths,
Robes and crowns of the Jin dynasty have become ancient mounds.
Three mountains half sink beyond the blue heavens,
One river divides White Heron Isle in two.
Always it is floating clouds that obscure the sun;
Unable to see Chang’an brings sorrow to the heart.”

(Tang dynasty, Li Bai, “Ascending the Phoenix Terrace at Jinling”)

The first six lines use scenery to lead into scenery, depicting a picture of lonely rivers and mountains, where former prosperity has become desolate weeds and ruins. This precisely reflects the poet’s present mood of melancholy and desolation, as though the bright sun were obscured by drifting clouds, expressing his frustration and unfulfilled ambitions. The scenery is imbued with the “color of sorrow,” while the “emotion” becomes even more depressed and unresolved because of the “sorrowful scenery.”

Section Three, The Semantic Structure of Setting Off

I. Contrast and Support

The author broadly divides setting off into two groups:
(1) Contrast: paired setting off and double setting off.
(2) Support: direct setting off, reverse setting off, and side setting off.

(1) Structural Analysis of “Contrast”

Taking narrative sentences as examples, S represents the subject, V the verb, and O the object. 11

1. Paired Setting Off: a two-sided contrast between two groups of things, concepts, or scenes.

S1 + V1 + O1

S2 + V2 + O2

1. Double Setting Off: a two-sided contrast within the same thing, concept, or scene.

＋V1＋O1

S

＋V2＋O2

The structure of “contrast” is established upon “an equal oppositional relationship.” Therefore, “V1＋O1” and “V2＋O2” each independently exist side by side, while their natures are “mutually exclusive and oppositional,” presenting a paradoxical grammar of “opposition creating completion.”

Scholar Zhang Chun-rong pointed out that “double setting off” and “reverse setting off,” within English rhetoric, belong to the categories of “oxymoron,” “paradoxical grammar,” or “paradox.” The characteristic of “paradoxical grammar” is “appearing false yet actually true,” emphasizing “the recognition and grasp of disharmony.”

(2) Structural Analysis of “Support”

1. Direct Setting Off: using objective things of similar nature to support the principal thing.

Aˊ (similar supporting object) supports A (subject). → Aˊ is similar to A.

1. Reverse Setting Off: using objective things of opposite or contrasting nature to support the principal thing.

－A (opposite supporting object) supports A (subject). → －A is opposite to A.

1. Side Setting Off: using the side aspect of an objective thing to support the principal thing.

B (supporting object) supports A (subject) → B and A possess neither similarity nor opposition.

The structure of side setting off is established upon “an inclined guest-host (primary-secondary) relationship.” The supporting object (guest) is constrained by the principal subject, thereby forming a “guest-host relationship.” The principal subject and supporting object should not only possess conditional relevance (for example: object → person; secondary → primary), but should also form a close and appropriate union.

II. The Combinational Relationship Between the Subject and the Supporting Element

The thing being enhanced is called the “subject,” while the thing used as the background is called the “supporting element.” The subject is the thing intended for expression, whereas the supporting element is the accompanying object and the place where deliberate emphasis is applied. The relationship between the subject and the supporting element may either be a similar or related primary-secondary supportive relationship (direct setting off), or an opposite, contrasting, juxtaposed relationship (paired setting off, double setting off, reverse setting off). 12

(1) If It Is a Primary-Secondary Relationship (Direct Setting Off)

That is, a relationship between the subject and the background, then the distinction between primary and secondary must be clear. The secondary element (supporting element) should serve to highlight the primary element and must not overshadow the principal subject. Its function is a one-way effect proceeding from the supporting element toward the subject.

(2) If It Is a Parallel and Equal Relationship (Double Setting Off, Paired Setting Off)

Then the two entities mutually produce reciprocal influence and reception, standing side by side while mutually shaping and reflecting one another, simultaneously constituting both “contrast” and “juxtaposition.”

(3) If It Is a Different or Opposite Relationship (Reverse Setting Off)

Then an opposite or contrasting supporting element is used to enhance the subject, thereby creating a strong contrast between the subject and the supporting element, highlighting the characteristics of the object and making the image more vivid and perceptible.

Section Four, The Forms of Expression of Setting Off

Scholar Huang Ching-hsuan divided setting off into “paired setting off,” “double setting off,” and “reverse setting off.” 13 Mainland Chinese scholar Lu Jiaxiang and others divided it into “direct setting off,” “paired setting off,” and “reverse setting off.” 14 Referring to the opinions of rhetoricians on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the author divides it into “primary-secondary setting off” and “contrastive setting off.” The former refers to “direct setting off” (also called “supportive enhancement”), while the latter includes “paired setting off,” “double setting off,” and “reverse setting off.”

I. Primary-Secondary Setting Off: Direct Setting Off (Supportive Enhancement, Atmospheric Enhancement)

Using similar or related things as accompaniment (supporting elements) in order to highlight or enhance the subject. Between the subject and the supporting element exists a “primary-secondary relationship.” “The subject and supporting element within supportive enhancement exist in a primary-secondary relationship, a relationship between subject and background, whose function is a one-way effect proceeding from this toward that.” 15

Ya Xian, “Abandoned Wife” 16

She is no longer

The woman of this spring

She hates hearing her own blood

Dripping upon that man’s name

And hates prayer even more

Because Jesus is also a man

A woman whose youth was betrayed by a man and whose emotions were deceived reveals without concealment in this poem the psychology of “hating the crow because one hates the house.” The poet says that this woman not only “hates hearing her own blood / dripping upon that man’s name,” but “hates prayer even more / because Jesus is also a man.” This kind of “awakening” after emotional trauma may appear somewhat “irrational,” yet from the perspective of women, at least she has already developed self-awareness and no longer needs to wrong herself in order to keep a man by her side, nor please men with “springlike” tenderness. Using “hating prayer even more” to enhance this woman’s “hatred toward the faithless lover” is precisely “primary-secondary setting off.”

II. Contrastive Setting Off: Paired Setting Off, Double Setting Off, Reverse Setting Off

1. Paired Setting Off (Two Entities, Two Contrasts)

Using two different viewpoints to describe two different people, matters, or things. For example, “Behind vermilion gates, wine and meat rot; along the roads lie bones frozen to death” (a poem by Du Fu) is an example of paired setting off.

Ya Xian, “So Whenever Night Falls” 17

Some women are beneath the corridor, some women are inside the house

Some can never let go of that song, some dance the waltz

Some laugh and chat, some lean there sideways, while some pretend to be deeply worried

Birds and their nests, war and its peace

And living is one thing, truth is one thing

If one were to call the poet Guan Guan, who delights in playing word games and often creates bizarre formal experiments, a “strange talent,” then poet Ya Xian would surely be a “demonic genius.” In this short section, Ya Xian generously and consecutively uses three layers of “double setting-off language”: “some laugh and chat, some lean there sideways, while some pretend to be deeply worried,” “birds and their nests, war and its peace,” “and living is one thing, truth is one thing.” Through the form of “contrast,” he vividly depicts the various postures of “street women” (prostitutes) waiting for customers, exhausting every possibility of ridicule and mockery.

Ya Xian’s poetry possesses playful language and is rich in “mocking qualities.” This is because he skillfully employs the rhetorical devices of “irony” and “setting off.” Moreover, his progression of imagery often “refuses to follow conventional logic,” always exceeding both the reader’s rational inference and emotional associations, causing the reader’s thoughts to repeatedly “go astray.” Readers even become aware of being repeatedly toyed with by his imagery. Yet readers do not become annoyed in the least; rather, they often delight in Ya Xian’s sharp wit, because these poetic lines massage the reader’s imagination into softness and provide the greatest satisfaction.

Lo Ching, “Darkness Test Report” 18

Neither you nor I understand

That the whitest and purest light mist

Is transformed from the blackest and densest night

“The whitest and purest light mist” and “the blackest and densest night,” these two mutually opposing natural phenomena, are discovered by the poet’s keen observation. Through contrasting the density and blackness of night with the whiteness and purity of morning mist, the night appears even denser and darker, while the mist feels even purer and cleaner.

1. Double Setting Off (One Entity, Two-Sided Contrast)

Using two different viewpoints to describe the same person, matter, or object.

Ya Xian, “Sea Woman” 19

It is not that she does not love the glazed tiles of our Luoyang

Nor that she dislikes the stone steps being too high, the moss too thick

She simply loves marriage

That withers quickly like vegetables in the ship’s rear cabin

In this stanza, the poet uses the technique of “double setting off” to indirectly indicate that this woman is a vulgar “believer in realism.” Regarding love, she views it as a means or strategy to induce men into marrying her. At the same time, she is also a “hedonist” who understands how to seize present pleasures. Borrowing a popular phrase of today: “One does not care for eternity, only for one night of passion.”

Xu Yanying, “Three Conditions of Fruit” 20

Two fruits, so evenly balanced

Grow upon a woman’s chest

Nourishing heroes, nourishing tyrants.

Nurturing children is the function of a woman’s breasts. However, if one “raises without teaching,” children may later stray onto the wrong path. The poetic meaning of this poem is expressed with considerable “warning force” and provokes deep reflection. The key lies in the poet’s use of the “one entity, two sides” technique of double setting off, pointing out that a mother may give birth to and nourish both “heroes and tyrants.”

Xiang Ming, “Portrait Sculpture” 21

Yesterday, yesterday she was the beauty upon the calendar poster

Today she is deconstructed, her undergarments stripped to her temples

Someone hurried along the road for an entire dusk

Recovering a morning without dawn

Yesterday she was clearly still that beauty upon the calendar poster whom everyone praised, yet today she has been molested by men and left in miserable disarray. This poem uses the “contrast technique” of before (yesterday) and after (today) to expose the “falsehood” of the “calendar beauty,” satirizing women who willingly sell their bodies and sacrifice their beauty merely in order to gain exposure and appearance within the media.

The final line, “recovering a morning without dawn,” is a “warning statement” in the form of reverse setting off. It is highly suggestive and deeply thought-provoking.

In the years after poet Xiang Ming’s retirement, not only did he not isolate himself from society, but his creative vision became increasingly broad and refined. Yu Kwang-chung once said: “Most poets exhaust their talent in old age.” Yet Xiang Ming deliberately moved against this trend, proving through his seasoned poetic pen and lucid wisdom that he is the Ziwei star within the blue night sky, burning ever more brilliantly.

1. Reverse Setting Off

Using adverbs or adjectives whose phenomena or essence are opposite to the thing itself in order to describe the same object.

Du Ye, “Wooden Carved Divine Statues” 22

Mazu, Guanyin, Xuantian Shangdi

Baosheng Dadi, Kui Xing

Stand assembled in rows

Inside a modern apartment

Within a glass cabinet

Not to discuss the great affairs of the world

But to discuss how to escape their predicament

With hands and feet

Yet unable to move even an inch

Majestic in spiritual power

Yet unable to resolve the crisis

Poet and poetry critic Du Ye (Chen Chi-you) is more renowned for poetry theory and criticism; by comparison, his creative writing somewhat possesses the nature of “amateur experimentation.” The poetry collection Wandering Rose presents a realistic spirit and everyday subject matter, performed through realistic strategies. Its colloquial language and realistic imagery are rich in interest amid simplicity: satire, mockery, and self-ridicule make readers sometimes smile knowingly and sometimes strike the table in admiration.

This object-chanting poem, “Wooden Carved Divine Statues,” uses the rhetorical device of “reverse setting off” to depict the predicament of divine wooden puppets that “cannot even protect themselves,” indirectly reflecting the current condition of Taiwanese society, where religious altars are everywhere and have even massively invaded residential districts.

Notes

1. Huang Ching-hsuan, Rhetoric, Taipei: Sanmin, 2002, p. 409.
2. Edited by Yang Chunlin and Liu Fan, Great Dictionary of Chinese Rhetorical Art, Xi’an: Shaanxi People’s Publishing, 1991, p. 731.
3. Edited by Lu Jiaxiang and Chi Taining, Dictionary of Examples of Rhetorical Methods, Hangzhou: Zhejiang Education Publishing, 1991, p. 287.
4. Hsiao Hsiao, Modern Poetics, Taipei: Tunghua Books, 1987, p. 195.
5. Huang Li-chen, Practical Rhetoric (Revised Edition), Taipei: Guojia Publishing, 2004, p. 72.
6. Edited by Lu Jiaxiang and Chi Taining, Dictionary of Examples of Rhetorical Methods, Hangzhou: Zhejiang Education Publishing, 1991, p. 288.
7. Xie Zhen and Wang Fuzhi, Combined Edition of Siming Poetry Talks and Jiangzhai Poetry Talks, Beijing: People’s Literature Publishing, 2005, p. 140.
8. Huang Ching-hsuan, Rhetoric, Taipei: Sanmin, 2002, p. 410.
9. Shen Qian, Rhetoric, Volume One, Taipei: Open University Press, 1991, p. 136.
10. Edited by Cheng Wei-jun and others, Comprehensive Mirror of Rhetoric, Taipei: Jianhong Publishing, 1998, p. 553.
11. This section references scholar Zhang Chun-rong’s New Thinking in Rhetoric, “Brilliant Movements—Parallelism, Setting Off, and Parallel Arrangement,” Taipei: Wanjuanlou Publishing Company, 2001, pp. 138–139.
12. This section of discussion references the section “Setting Off” in Chapter Four, “Rhetorical Devices,” from Comprehensive Mirror of Rhetoric edited by Cheng Wei-jun and others, combined and organized with various rhetorical theories, Taipei: Jianhong Publishing, 1998, p. 552.
13. Huang Ching-hsuan, Rhetoric, Taipei: Sanmin, 2002, pp. 412–419.
14. Edited by Lu Jiaxiang and Chi Taining, Dictionary of Examples of Rhetorical Methods, Hangzhou: Zhejiang Education Publishing, 1990, p. 288.
15. Edited by Cheng Wei-jun and others, Comprehensive Mirror of Rhetoric, Beijing: China Youth Publishing, 1991, p. 552.
16. Quoted from Ya Xian, Collected Poems of Ya Xian, Taipei: Hongfan, 1981, pp. 155–156.
17. Quoted from Ya Xian, Collected Poems of Ya Xian, Taipei: Hongfan, 1981, pp. 212–214.
18. Quoted from Lo Ching, Song of Rice, Taipei: Earth Publishing, 1981, pp. 172–173.
19. Quoted from Ya Xian, Collected Poems of Ya Xian, Taipei: Hongfan, 1981, pp. 288–291.
20. Quoted from Bai Ling and Xiang Ming, eds., Selected Lovely Short Poems, Taipei: Erya Publishing, 1997, pp. 30–31.
21. Quoted from Xiang Ming, Particles of Sunlight, Taipei: Erya Publishing, 2004, pp. 84–85.
22. Quoted from Du Ye, Wandering Rose, Taipei: Erya Publishing, 1999, pp. 47–48.