Chapter 11: The Use of Cinematic Framing in Chinese Poetry
Foreword:
Wang Fuzhi of the Qing dynasty, in Random Notes on Poetry from Jiangzhai, states: “In the finest lines of the ancients, most are scenic language.” Here, “scenic language” refers broadly to concrete and tangible images that can be perceived by the five senses. Whether in classical poetry or contemporary free verse, the vast majority of such “scenic language” can in fact be appreciated and analyzed through the principles of cinematography.
In this article, what the author refers to as “shots” (camera) does not only refer to the “imagined visual images” that arise in the reader’s mind when appreciating poetry, but also includes images that can be directly captured and connected through actual photographic lenses to present a coherent visual sequence.
Section 1: The Fusion of Emotion and Scene in Poetry
“The fusion of emotion and scene” has always been the core concept—like the “Tai Chi” axis—of classical Chinese poetic aesthetics. “Emotional abstraction and scenic concreteness” function like the correspondence of Yin and Yang, mutually complementary.
Wang Fuzhi, in Internal Essays on the Sequel of Eternal Commentary from the Hall of Evening Reflection, states: “Emotion and scene are named as two, yet in reality they cannot be separated. For those who are skilled in poetry, their marvelous integration is boundless.” On this foundation, Wang Guowei extends the idea in Remarks on Ci Poetry in the Human World: “In the past, theorists distinguished between scenic language and emotional language, not realizing that all scenic language is in fact emotional language.” This directly points out that the purpose of describing scenery is to express emotion.
Thus, when poets describe scenery, the “scenic language” is essentially emotional in nature; it is a projection of the author’s feelings. As Wang Guowei said: “When I observe objects, all objects take on my color.”
When readers appreciate poetry, the “imagined visual images” that arise in their minds are influenced by the “emotional language” within the poem. Readers actively add a layer of subjective emotional coloring, thereby producing various aesthetic responses.
For example, in Du Fu’s social-poetic line:
“Rich men’s gates reek of wine and meat; on the road lie frozen bones of the dead.”
Readers’ aesthetic response perceives this scene as brutally realistic; they are shocked and simultaneously filled with compassion.
In Wang Wei’s landscape poetry:
“Returning light enters the deep forest, again shining upon green moss.”
The reader’s aesthetic response is one of serene mountain solitude, producing feelings of ease and tranquility.
Section 2: How Film Shots Handle “Emotional Language”
Once poetry is transformed into the lens of a camera, the “scenery” indeed becomes clearer, but it does not necessarily convey the “emotional language” in the poetic lines with precision, nor does it accurately project the author’s subjective emotions.
For example, in Ma Zhiyuan’s Tianjingsha:
“Withered vines, old trees, crows at dusk; small bridge, flowing water, homes; ancient road, west wind, thin horse. The sun sets in the west; a heartbroken traveler at the end of the world.”
The scenic language in this poem can be represented through cinematic principles, but the “emotional language” of the “heartbroken traveler” is difficult for the camera to precisely present. It is not simply a sorrowful face covered in dust and wind that can fully express the emotional image of “heartbreak.”
Readers with some understanding of film should be familiar with the idea that audiences primarily expect to see how a director “tells stories emotionally through the camera”—simultaneously narrating events while expressing the inner emotions of characters.
Therefore, the success or failure of a film often depends on the “inner performance” of its main characters. Even action films that rely heavily on visual spectacle and movement must still invest significantly in the characters’ psychological depth.
This discussion involves film aesthetics and psychological analysis, which are complex in nature. In this article, the author will only focus on “scenic language” (objects and visual imagery) and analyze it through cinematic principles.
Section 3: How Film Shots Express Scenic Language in Poetry
(1) Camera Distance
The variation in camera distance is generally determined by how much material is contained within the frame. In most cases, it is defined by how much of a subject is visible within the frame, rather than the physical distance between the camera and the subject. For instance, a telephoto lens can quickly shift from a long shot to a close-up, even though the actual distance to the subject remains unchanged.
Camera distance can roughly be divided into six types:
- Close-up (Close-up)
- Extreme Close-Up (Extreme Close-Up)
- Full Shot (Full Shot)
- Medium Shot (Medium Shot)
- Long Shot (Long Shot)
- Extreme Long Shot (Extreme Long Shot)
Due to differences in camera distance, the “scenic language” in classical poetry can in fact be divided into two categories: mid-to-long distance “landscape imagery,” such as distant mountains, floating clouds, or fishing boats on the sea; and close-range or close-up “object imagery,” such as potted flowers on a table or the bright eyes and white teeth of a beautiful woman.
Next, the author will cite examples from classical poetry and modern poetry, categorizing which types of cinematic shots are used in their scenic language.
- Extreme Close-Up
(1) “Her charming smile, her beautiful eyes so bright.” — Book of Songs, “Wei Feng: Shuo Ren”
The camera first uses a close-up focusing on the beauty’s facial expression, then zooms further into an extreme close-up of her captivating eyes.
(2) “Polishing a single word, I pluck and break several strands of beard.” — Lu Yanjang, Painful Refinement
The poet strokes his beard while searching for the right phrase; after long contemplation, he finally finds the appropriate word, yet several strands of his beard have already been broken. The camera first uses a close-up focusing on the poet’s face as he searches for words while stroking his beard, then shifts into a partial extreme close-up, narrowing focus to the strands of beard broken by his fingers.
(3) “The candle has a heart and still grieves for farewell, shedding tears on behalf of others until dawn.” — Du Mu, Farewell
The camera uses an extreme close-up focusing on the burning candle. Through time-lapse photography, the process of candle tears dripping is captured in sequence. When readers read this, a fast-forwarded sequence of extreme close-up images automatically forms in their minds.
(4) Modern poet Shang Qin, “Sketches of the Five Senses”
This poetic sequence is not only an innovative poem of object depiction, but also an excellent work that employs close-up and extreme close-up shots for associative imagery. Two excerpts using extreme close-up imagery are cited:
“Sketches of the Five Senses”
“Eyebrows”
“Only wings
but no body, a bird
between crying and laughing
continuously flying”
Between eyebrows and bird wings, the author uses associative similarity, cleverly linking two visually similar images. “Between crying and laughing / continuously flying” further depicts the dynamic state of the eyebrows, ending with “flying” to echo the opening image of “wings.”
〈Eyes〉
A pair of fish in love
their tails only appear after the age of forty
between them lies a ridge of the nose
just like my family and I
separated by a strait
likely never to meet in this lifetime again
occasionally
they also mingle together
only in the tears of their dreams
Fish and eyes are also linked through associative analogy. “Fish-tail lines” only appear in middle age, after facial muscles loosen. The ridge of the nose is used as a metaphor for a strait; the correspondence in form is not precise because there is no real similarity. However, readers can still accept it, since Shang Qin was an old soldier who came to Taiwan with the Nationalist government, and the separation of a strait leads the poet to worry that “we may never meet in this lifetime again.” The two eyes cannot meet, yet in midnight dreams, when tears mix together, it can still be considered a meeting of the two eyes.
(5) Modern poet Lin Zongyuan, “A Small Worm Inside a Cabbage”
The first two sections of this descriptive poem present the imagined image of a small cabbage worm living inside a cabbage. When translated into cinematic terms, it corresponds to a close-range magnified extreme close-up:
A Small Worm Inside a Cabbage
quietly eating
quietly sleeping
quietly living
growing—this is a kind of modern enjoyment
Space gradually expands
a ray of sunlight ignites hope
between light and darkness
the head extends and retracts at a tiny hole
a small worm wanting to go out and see the world yet afraid of encountering a farmer
decides to live inside the hole
quietly eating
In the frame, the image first shows a small hole, inside which hides a tiny cabbage worm. Then the surrounding cabbage leaves appear; the worm lives comfortably within the inner leaves: it can eat and sleep freely, since food is abundant and it can feed as soon as it opens its mouth.
Next, time-lapse photography is used to record the life history of the worm, played in fast motion. As the worm grows, the hole inside the cabbage gradually expands, even eroding the surface leaves, and then a ray of sunlight penetrates through.
This single ray of light triggers a change in the worm’s mind. It cautiously extends its head at the entrance of the hole to observe the outside world. Because it fears encountering a farmer and losing its life, it decides to retreat back into the cabbage hole and continue eating and sleeping.
This entire sequence must of course be shot using magnified framing and extreme close-up, so that the worm’s wriggling tiny head can be clearly captured.
Suddenly
a kitchen knife
The final section is highly dramatic. Although the author does not explicitly state the conclusion, when a kitchen knife appears in the frame—about to cut the cabbage—the fate of the worm can easily be imagined. The author deliberately leaves this unresolved, giving the reader space for imagination.
2. Close-Up
(1) “Lightly gather, slowly twist and brush, then lift and pick again; first like neon robes, later like a green waist dance.” — Bai Juyi, Song of the Pipa
The phrase “lightly gather, slowly twist and brush, then lift and pick again” is a close-range shot of the various finger movements of the female performer playing the pipa. If the camera moves slightly forward and increases focal length, the frame would show a full-body shot of the performer playing the instrument. Conversely, if it moves closer, it focuses on the hands and strings, forming a partial close-up.
(2) “Spring light is so disturbing that one cannot sleep; moonlight moves the shadow of flowers onto the railing.” — Wang Anshi, Spring Night
“Moonlight moves the shadow of flowers onto the railing” literally describes the gradual movement of moonlight shifting the shadow of flowers. The close-up shot focuses on the flowers, using time-lapse technique to show changes in the flower shadows, thereby representing the movement of moonlight and the passage of time.
(3) “Spring color fills the garden, unable to be contained; one branch of red apricot reaches beyond the wall.” — Ye Shaoweng, A Visit to the Garden Unsuccessful
“One branch of red apricot reaches beyond the wall” refers literally to a branch of apricot blossoms extending from within a walled garden full of spring scenery. The camera moves from a wide view of the wall, then gradually pushes in to a close-up focusing on the single branch of red apricot, enlarging and clarifying its contours.
(4) Modern poet Chen Qianwu, “Walking in the Rain”
falling straight down — a strand of spider silk
falling straight down — two strands of spider silk
falling straight down — three strands of spider silk
falling straight down — tens of millions of strands of spider silk
surrounding me within
— a cage of spider silk
Countless spiders thrown onto the ground
all perform a somersault, each expressing a gesture of resistance
and leave sorrowful patterns imprinted on my clothes and face
I am already covered with traces of struggle
(excerpt from first two sections)
In the first section, the first three lines are close-range shots. “Tens of millions of strands of spider silk / surrounding me within—a cage of spider silk” shifts the camera outward, presenting a wide shot of the author being densely surrounded by rain threads like spider silk.
“Countless spiders thrown onto the ground / all perform a somersault, expressing a gesture of resistance” shows the spiders somersaulting, which visually resembles raindrops splashing on the ground. The spiders’ somersaults are close-up shots.
“And leave sorrowful patterns imprinted on my clothes and face” is an even tighter extreme close-up, focusing on the author’s body.
3. Full Shot
(1) “I know from afar that my brothers are climbing high; everywhere they plant dogwood, yet one person is missing.” — Wang Wei, Remembering My Brothers on the Double Ninth Festival
The young Wang Wei, imagining from a distance, envisions his brothers in his hometown climbing a height together on the Double Ninth Festival, while he is stranded elsewhere. The imagined image is a group of brothers gathered on a mountain, wearing dogwood flowers on their heads. In cinematic terms, this is a full shot or medium-long shot.
(2) “Poor bones by the Wuding River; still they are the lovers in the spring boudoir dream.” — Chen Tao, Four Poems of the Longxi Journey, second poem
The last two lines each form a full shot, creating a contrasting visual composition: “bones by the Wuding River” versus “the man in the spring boudoir dream.” Through this visual contrast, the tragic emotion of a wartime era in which husband and wife are separated by life and death is constructed.
5. Long Shot
(1) “A lone plume of smoke rises straight in the vast desert; the setting sun over the long river is perfectly round.” — Wang Wei, Sent to the Frontier
The vast desert and the long river function as a large background, used to set off the two focal scenic elements: the solitary smoke and the setting sun. Such a background is usually captured with a long-distance wide-angle shot, enlarging and widening the frame to present the expansive desert and the long Yellow River landscape.
As for the primary focal objects—the solitary smoke and the setting sun—they are rendered using long shots, extending spatial depth and creating a contrast between the small foreground elements and the vast background.
(2) “The rosy clouds and a lone wild duck fly together; the autumn waters and the vast sky share one color.” — Wang Bo, Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng
In “The rosy clouds and a lone wild duck fly together,” the rosy clouds and the solitary wild duck are imagined as a long-distance shot under a telephoto lens. In “the autumn waters and the vast sky share one color,” the sky and the autumn waters create an even broader spatial extension, forming a grand panoramic long shot produced through a combination of telephoto framing and wide-angle lens.
(3) Modern poet Xiang Yang, “Dark Clouds”
……
Dark clouds, from then on like vines
like vines entangling Taiwan
the sky is a painting board where dark clouds dominate
drawing black frames, drawing forbidden zones
splitting open the pale white sky-light
those with mouths are not allowed to speak
those with ears are not allowed to hear
those with eyes are not allowed to see
those with hearts are not allowed to think
even “not” itself
is not allowed to be spoken
(excerpt)
In 1947, the “February 28 Incident” occurred in Taiwan. Tens of thousands of young intellectuals and social elites were brutally hunted and massacred by the Nationalist government military and police led by Chen Yi. The entire island of Taiwan was shrouded in an atmosphere of extreme authoritarian terror. Politics became a terrifying dark cloud.
“The sky is a painting board where dark clouds dominate / drawing black frames, drawing forbidden zones” shows how people lost fundamental freedoms of speech, hearing, sight, and thought.
If this imagined dark cloud is filmed, the sky would be covered by dense black clouds. This forms the background, and this background would necessarily be shot with a long lens to present a distant landscape.
At the same time, this would be combined with wide or medium shots of people being arrested by soldiers and police, interrogation of political prisoners in prisons, and executions of political dissidents in execution grounds as the main visual sequences.
(4) Ya Xian, “Like a Song Andante”
……
And since one has been regarded as a river, one must continue flowing forward
the world is always like this—always like this:
Guanyin stands far away on the mountain
poppies stand in the poppy field
(excerpt from final section)
A river flowing toward the distance and the distant Guanyin Mountain are both imagined visual scenes that, when translated into cinematography, belong to long-distance shots.
“The poppies in the poppy field” may be represented either as a medium shot of a field of poppies or as a vast sea of poppies in a long shot.
6. Extreme Long Shot
(1) “Viewed horizontally it becomes a range, viewed vertically it becomes a peak; from near or far, high or low, all are different.” — Su Dongpo, Inscribed on the Wall of Xilin Temple
The imagined visual structure of these lines fully corresponds to the principles of perspective in Western painting. Viewed horizontally, the mountain becomes a continuous range of undulating ridges; viewed vertically, it becomes a series of peaks of varying heights.
In cinematic terms, whether presented as a horizontal wide-angle long shot or a vertical long shot, the frame necessarily captures an extreme long-distance landscape.
(2) “Boundless falling leaves rustle down; the endless Yangtze River rolls on.” — Du Fu, Ascending High
The boundless forest sheds leaves endlessly; the endless Yangtze River flows on in powerful motion. Both scenes are directly observed by the poet from a high vantage point.
When translated into cinematic framing, both require a wide-angle plus telephoto combination—namely, an extreme long shot—expressing the vastness of the forest and the endless length of the river.
(3) Modern poet Zheng Chouyu, “Letter from Beyond the Mountains”
Do not worry for me
I am in the mountains……
Clouds coming from the sea
say the sea’s silence is too deep
wind coming from the sea
says the sea’s laughter is too vast
I am a man from the sea
the mountain is a solidified wave
(I no longer believe news from the sea)
my returning heart
no longer surges
In the first section, the imagined scene of the poet being in the mountains may be either a full shot or a medium shot.
In the second section, “clouds from the sea” and “wind from the sea,” and in the third section, “the mountain is a solidified wave,” all are imagined visual scenes that belong to long-distance, wide-angle extreme long shots.
(4) Modern poet Li Minyong, “Island Nation”
Far away from home
our ancestors crossed the sea to arrive at the Beautiful Island
enduring countless hardships
The strait cuts the umbilical cord
in the rocking waves
we learn to cultivate with sweat
to plant hope with love
(excerpt from first two sections)
In the first section, “our ancestors crossed the sea to arrive at the Beautiful Island” depicts Han Chinese migrants from the mainland traveling by wooden sailboats across the Taiwan Strait. In “in the rocking waves,” the scene is best represented with a long shot combined with a wide-angle lens, showing multiple wooden sailboats carrying migrants advancing through stormy seas.
(2) Zoom Lens (Zoom Shot)
A zoom lens adapts to changes in the position of the focused object or character. At times it must zoom in, enlarging the focused subject while eliminating surrounding scenery; at other times it must zoom out, reducing the size of the focused subject while incorporating surrounding related scenery into the frame.
1. Zoom In
When the camera gradually zooms in from a distant view, the focused subject shifts from far to near, producing a dual effect of magnification and clarification.
If the camera moves inward step by step—from extreme long shot to long shot, medium shot, full shot, close-up, and extreme close-up—it progressively reveals various layers of scenery from far to near, creating a focusing effect and a close-up perspective.
(1) Liu Zongyuan, “River Snow”
“From a thousand mountains no birds fly; from ten thousand paths no human trace remains.
A lone boat, a straw-cloaked old man, fishing alone in the cold river snow.”
“Thousand mountains” and “ten thousand paths” are extreme long shots, captured using a long wide-angle lens. “No birds flying” and “no human traces on mountain paths” are long shots presenting distant scenery. “A lone boat, a straw-cloaked old man” transitions from medium shot toward full shot, while the “straw-cloaked old man” functions as a close-up, and the fishing rod in hand becomes a partial magnified close-up.
The act of fishing in falling river snow then gradually expands the visual field again, pulling back into medium and long shots of the snowy river surface. Thus, the sequence of shots moves from extreme distance to gradual closeness—arriving at the full shot of the lone boat and straw-cloaked fisherman—then focusing on the extreme close-up of the fishing rod, before again pulling the depth of field outward.
(2) Modern poet Luo Zhicheng, “Time”
When I return to Earth, humanity has long since departed
forests have reclaimed the cities; seagulls still linger at river mouths
countless abandoned watch faces lie scattered across the beach like shells
some filled with seawater, some still ticking
This poem’s imagined visual sequence begins with a long shot: “When I return to Earth, humanity has long since departed / forests have reclaimed the cities.” It then condenses into a medium shot: “seagulls still linger at river mouths” and “countless abandoned watch faces lie scattered across the beach like shells.”
The camera then moves closer again, focusing on individual watch faces abandoned on the sand, treated as close-ups: “some filled with seawater, some still ticking.”
2. Zoom Out
When the camera zooms out from a close position, the focused subject becomes more distant, producing effects of reduction in scale and increasing blurriness.
That is, if the camera moves outward step by step—from close-up to full shot, medium shot, long shot, and extreme long shot—it gradually reveals different layers of scenery from near to far, producing depth and a broad visual field.
(1) Ma Zhiyuan, “Tianjingsha”
“Withered vines, old trees, evening crows; small bridge, flowing water, houses; ancient road, west wind, thin horse. The sun sets in the west; a heartbroken traveler at the edge of the world.”
This famous lyric is structurally designed as a “listed montage” (serial imagery), where scenery is presented in a sequence from near to far. The images “withered vines,” “old trees,” and “evening crows” are each treated as close-ups. When combined, “withered vines, old trees, evening crows” forms a full shot.
“Small bridge, flowing water, houses” are also three close-up fragments that merge into a single full landscape.
“Ancient road,” “west wind,” “thin horse,” and “sunset” are each treated with medium-to-long shots, presenting a gradually widening long-distance sequence.
“Heartbroken traveler at the edge of the world” is a distant, minuscule human figure in the vast horizon, functioning as an extreme long shot that expresses a boundless atmosphere.
(2) Modern poet Luo Fu, “Golden Dragon Temple”
Evening bell
is the path down the mountain for travelers
ferns
along the white stone steps
chew their way downward
if it were snowing here
and then only
a startled gray cicada
sets the mountain lights
one by one
into illumination
In the imagined visual structure of this poem, the first section shows the downhill path. The camera gradually pulls back from close-up and medium shot until the mountain base becomes a long shot landscape. The ferns growing along the sides of the mountain path function as visual details.
In the final section, the same technique is used: starting from a close-up of a cicada, the frame gradually pulls back to reveal rows of mountain lights turning on one by one in the distance.
3. Alternating Use of Near and Distant Shots
In some poems, imagined visual scenes alternate between distant landscapes and nearby objects. In cinematic terms, the camera repeatedly pushes in and pulls out, creating a dynamic visual rhythm between far and near.
Before filming, art directors or visual designers usually prepare a storyboard. The director then follows this sequence to guide cinematographers in flexibly using long shots, short shots, or zoom lenses to capture and assemble a dynamic sequence of alternating perspectives between distance and proximity.
(1) Yuan dynasty, Bai Pu, “Tianjingsha”
“Lonely village, setting sun, fading clouds; light smoke, old trees, cold crows; a single flying goose casting its shadow downward. Green mountains, clear waters; white grass, red leaves, yellow flowers.”
This Yuan qu lyric is composed entirely of scenic language. From the perspective of visual imagination, it alternates between near and far shots, producing shifting visual continuity and aesthetic variation.
“Lonely village, setting sun, fading clouds” begins with a medium shot of a solitary village and pulls outward into an extreme long shot of sunset clouds.
“Light smoke, old trees, cold crows” then compresses back inward, focusing into a close-up of the crows.
“A single flying goose casting its shadow downward” expands the view again into a long shot of a solitary wild goose in flight.
“Green mountains, clear waters” forms a wide-angle extreme long shot of vast landscapes.
“White grass, red leaves, yellow flowers” presents an extreme long shot of a wild, open terrain filled with colorful vegetation and foliage.
(2) Modern poet Luo Fu,〈Reincarnation of Ice〉
〈Reincarnation of Ice〉
He in life was cold like a sculpture of ice
after cremation passing through the chimney
he is elevated into a proud solitary cloud
what remains is an urn of ashes
a small pinch of phosphorus
scattered into the wind
and it dances into a sky full of flickering stars
when it falls it becomes rain
after cooling it returns again into a block of ice
Although this poem is brief in length, its imagined visual scenes shift between near and far, large and small, making it quite interesting to read. If one applies cinematic camera movement, the sequence would proceed as follows: full shot (he in life was cold like a sculpture of ice) → medium shot (after cremation passing through the chimney / he is elevated into a proud solitary cloud) → close-up (what remains is an urn of ashes / a small pinch of phosphorus) → medium shot (scattered into the wind) → extreme long shot (and it dances into a sky full of flickering stars) → medium shot (when it falls it becomes rain) → extreme close-up (after cooling it returns again into a block of ice).
The scenes and objects within the frame change as the camera zooms in and out. The author’s ingenuity provides readers with rich interpretive pleasure during reading.
Conclusion
The principles of cinematic camera work can not only be applied to poetry and classical texts, but can also help readers more accurately construct imagined visual scenes in the mind, and organically organize (link) preceding and following visual images (contextual imagery) into a coherent sequence, enabling readers to form continuous visual imagination. This provides readers with concrete clues through which to contemplate the artistic conception and emotional resonance embedded within the scenes.
Furthermore, camera principles can assist authors in narrative and descriptive writing by efficiently identifying the main narrative axis. Based on this axis, authors can sequentially organize (connect) useful concrete images into a continuous organic visual flow, while filtering out irrelevant or weak expressive imagery—removing extraneous branches and leaves.
In this way, during the writing process, authors will not produce disordered image assemblages, nor will they randomly insert unrelated visual scenes, causing imagery “jumping” (tone shifts), blurred narrative focus, and semantic disorientation that leaves readers confused and unable to comprehend.
Many contemporary poets who claim to employ postmodern techniques often produce texts in which imagery shifts arbitrarily, lacking organic semantic continuity between contexts. Such writing resembles fragmented speech in dreams—disconnected sentences pulled from different directions with frequent breaks in coherence. Although they claim this constitutes “multiple signification” and “multiple possibilities of interpretation,” in reality it is little different from riddles.
When the author’s imagination runs out of control and imagery lacks organic integration, the result is that readers “can see but cannot understand,” replacing comprehension with guessing and interpretation with speculation—like entering a labyrinth of imagery. This becomes, in effect, an irresponsible form of mental exhaustion imposed on the reader.
Afterword:
The cinematography references in this article are based on the website Understanding Film
http://edumovie.culture.tw/activities_info.php?id=162
