Chapter 5: The Deep Blue Starlight Glow
—Reading Two Poems by Xiang Ming
“Wind Talk”
A strong gust of wind
forced its way in through the crack in the wall
and asked, in a very piercing tone:
“You meh-an-zuan?”
Facing the challenge of a crowd of boneless ones
I could not even manage to smile
and could only reply in a bad mood:
“Go play quickly!”
This short poem carries the meaning and interest of a “fable-type” poem. The author uses a first-person narrative perspective, engaging in a simple dialogue with the personified wind. In the exchange, both sides articulate themselves, colliding (or clashing) to produce sparks that are both interesting and intelligent.
The wind’s sharp question—“You meh-an-zuan?”—is truly a flash of inspiration, directly using Taiwanese everyday speech. The poetic line is filled with colloquial vitality; this biting wind is indeed an “unpretentious local Taiwanese.” Facing “a crowd of boneless ones,” the author’s reply is also a stroke of inspiration: “Go play quickly!”—composed, calm, and still carrying a childlike innocence. Such a composed attitude reveals the author’s harmonious and non-confrontational philosophy of life, which is precisely the “moral meaning” this fable poem seeks to convey.
How should “a crowd of boneless ones” be interpreted? This clue is rather thought-provoking. The author seems to be pointing at something: in the world of modern poetry there are indeed many challengers “without backbone.” They are adept at currying favor and reading the room; when they see influential poets holding resources of poetry journals, they rush forward to cling and flatter, hoping to become favored protégés and “ride the helicopter upward.” Once they discover that a certain senior or leading poet has lost authority and influence, they immediately change direction and shift toward a new target. The author seems to perceive these realities within the poetry world and, by taking a detour, subtly satirizes these “spineless” poets through this fable-like poem. This short poem captures a flash of insight, using humor and wisdom to provoke reflection; it is a uniquely crafted satirical poem.
“A Bucket of Nails”
—Impressions from attending poetry gatherings
All are sharp
all have short and long edges
all are upright
all are naked like a phallus
ready at any moment to thrust forward into a weak place
Every time I attend a poets’ assembly
what I see every time is a bucket of nails
loafing around
mixed together horizontally and vertically, waiting to act
It is always the same
poets gather together chatting and talking nonsense
while the nails crowd inside the bucket, oxidizing and breeding
The fact is laid out here:
a gathering of poets cannot produce even one Qu Yuan, Li Bai, or Du Fu
no nail stands up to act alone
Poet Xiang Ming lives up to his name: “toward evening crossing bright,” and among the Blue Star poets, his creative energy has not diminished. His works, whether in thematic range or linguistic diversity, can be regarded as a radiant North Star.
This poem “A Bucket of Nails,” on the surface is an object poem, but internally it is a satirical poem expressing feelings through objects. Its theme itself uses the form of “symbolism,” using “a bucket of nails” to imply “a group of young, hot-blooded, and proud young poets.” Even without the subtitle “Impressions from attending poetry gatherings,” readers would still not misread it, because the text itself already provides sufficient clues: “Every time I attend a poets’ assembly / every time I see a bucket of nails.”
In poets’ gatherings, those young poets in attendance all try their best to speak and seize attention; none is willing to have their brilliance overshadowed by peers. Thus, whenever someone gets the chance to speak, they will certainly try to be “startling to the audience,” in order to demonstrate how outstanding they are among their peers.
All are sharp
all have short and long edges
all are upright
all are naked like a phallus
ready at any moment to thrust forward into a weak place
The first section of the poem already presents a three-line parallel structure, using a teasing tone to outline the aggressive, barbed appearance of this bucket of nails: “sharp, short-long, upright.” It then moves into a figurative comparison: “all naked like a phallus,” producing a humorous effect. However, there is an issue at the level of meaning: among these young poets attending the gathering, there should presumably be women as well. Using “naked phallus” to encompass these female poets seems to suggest that even female poets, in the context of poetry gatherings, likewise “do not yield,” and their behavior and speech are no different from male poets, competing head-on with them. Every young poet present is constantly ready to target any speaker’s linguistic flaws or weak arguments, piercing and attacking them in order to attract more attention.
Every time I attend a poets’ assembly
Every time what I see is a bucket of nails
idle
mixed together horizontally and vertically, waiting for action
The poet summarizes his personal experience of attending poetry gatherings: these young poets eager for self-expression, without exception, are “waiting for action” together. On one hand, they display their strengths; on the other, they attack others’ weaknesses. The purpose is the same: to attract attention and accumulate fame.
It is always the same
poets gather together talking nonsense
nails crowding inside the bucket, oxidizing and generating desire
the fact is laid bare here:
poets in groups cannot hatch even a single Qu Yuan, Li Bai, or Du Fu
that nail does not stand up to fight alone
In the latter section, the author, situated within the poetry gathering, observes coldly the words and actions of this group of young poets, adopting a negative evaluation of them. He connects the two images—“poets gathering together talking nonsense” and “nails crowded in a bucket, oxidizing and generating desire”—through a metaphor without an explicit comparative marker. The basic structure of such a metaphor is “A (tenor) — B (vehicle),” with the comparative term omitted, expressed through a form of homogeneous contrast (parallel analogy). The aesthetic basis of these two lines lies in the “law of similarity” in contrast.
Finally, the author reaches a negative conclusion: “the fact is laid out here: / poets in groups cannot hatch even one Qu Yuan, Li Bai, or Du Fu / no nail stands up to fight alone.” The conclusion is somewhat bitter and even harsh, yet it corresponds to reality. However, readers may reflect on the question implied by this conclusion: why, when these young poets are so eager to perform and seek attention, has the field of Taiwanese modern poetry never produced a poet of significant historical weight? Is it due to an unfriendly environment that neglects poets (and ignores cultural creators)? Or is it that poets, through mutual gatherings and mutual comfort, suffer from narrow vision and excessive self-regard, making it difficult to achieve resonance with general readers? As a result, Taiwanese modern poetry remains confined within small circles, lingering for decades without substantial change.
Annotation:
The law of similarity refers to the associative linkage generated by comparing things that are similar in form or meaning. “Similarity association is triggered by certain similarities in nature or appearance between two objects.” This arises because when humans perceive an object, they tend to exhibit generalization and categorization. Generalization refers to responding identically to similar things without distinguishing them; categorization refers to responding to shared characteristics across different things. Many literary techniques such as analogy, metaphor, and symbolism are psychologically grounded in this associative mechanism. See the author’s book Poetics and Rhetorical Aesthetics, Volume II: Aesthetic of Expressive Techniques, Chapter 9: “Image Contrast (I): Contrast and Foil,” p. 139, 2004, privately published, distributed by Sanmin Book Co., Taipei.
