Li Qingzhao -- China’s Greatest Female Poet (Part II)
Since peeps married real early durin’ that time, she married this dude called Zhao Mingcheng when he ws a student at this place called the Imperial Academy. Talk ‘bout a match made in heaven, right? See, this dude was scholarly and later became known for explainin’ what the shiz the ancient words on monuments and bronzes meant. Li Qingzhao was also real lucky, ‘cause like, her father-in-law (Zhao Tingzhi) was pretty cool wit’ her bein’ smart and all.
Since she was married, and was totally in love wit’ her husband, she wrote some poems. One of them went somethin’ like this:
I bought a bouquet of Spring in bloom,
Got it from a flower carryin’ pole.
That shiz had tiny teardrops on it,
And they be reflectin’ dawn’s pink clouds,
wit’ dem morning dew shinin’.
Lest my boo should think
Dem flowers be sweeter than ma face
Imma pin this shiz to mah black hair
Gonna ask him to compare (us).
She did the pinin’ wife thing fo’ a while, and wrote a poem while he was studyin’ at the Imperial Academy. She wrote that verse on a silk handkerchief, called “Sorrow of Departure”. (’Cause a long distance relationship ain’t nothin’ without poetry in it, amirite?)
Anyways, since both husband and wife loved dem words, they were totes good together and holla-ed these educated peeps to their house for some epic rap battles.
The best bit ‘bout this relationship? They made an effort to collect stone carvings, jade, paintings, calligraphy, anythin’ that totes had clues ‘bout China’s past, and wrote about it together. They would write love poems to each other, read to each other and discuss whatever they learnt together. She was totes his equal, and accompanied him to business and social gatherings, ‘cause she knew her shiz.
Also, she was so awesome at poetry that she developed a new style called th yi’an style. Pretty cool, huh?
Next: Li Qingzhao’s husband dies. (Oops, spoiler alert.)
