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Notes and Glossary of Characters and Symbols
- University of Arkansas Press
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Notes and Glossary of Characters and Symbols I. “String Fugue with Stretto” 𝄐 (fermata): in musical notation, a hold or pause; an indication of a note that is sustained longer than its value would suggest. “Psalm: 1976” contains text from Psalm 119. “To the Conservatory: 1983” contains text from Psalm 23, as well as a line from Olivia Newton John’s 1981 hit, “Physical.” II. “Elizabeth I, Richmond” Italicized text is paraphrased from The Language of Space in Court Performance,1400–1625 by Janette Dillon, or else is quoted from Elizabeth I’s poem “On Monsieur’s Departure.” “A Road in the Sky” This poem is inspired by May Swenson’s poem, “Early Morning, Cape Cod.” III. Many of these poems contain Chinese characters, or hànzì.The poems have simplified characters, which were introduced in mainland China in the 1950s and 1960s, and were the characters I was taught by my Mandarin teachers in Beijing and Shanxi. 97 Though some written characters still contain ideogrammic components, a limited number of Chinese characters exist as strict “pictograms,” despite popular misconceptions. However, visual mimetics are sometimes used for teaching students to commit written characters to memory. “A Map of Shanxi” Shanxi Province is one of China’s leading coal producers.The province contains several of the world’s most polluted cities and also has severe water shortages. ganz ào: dry, arid. “罗” 罗 (luó): a common Chinese surname.The traditional version is 羅, drawn as a net radical over two others, one meaning “bird” and one meaning “silk.” In combination, they are meant to be read as “a net for catching birds.” 易 (yì): “easy.” Also a Chinese surname. In this poem, it is used strictly as onomatopoeia. “In Mid-Autumn” yuè bĭng: moon + a round, flat cake, cookie, or pastry; moon cake (food traditionally eaten on Mid-Autumn Day in China). The syllable bing in Mandarin might mean “ice,” “cake,” “illness,” or a number of other things, depending on whether it is pronounced with a high, rising, dipping, or falling tone. “人 /λ: A Redshift” 麻 (má): to have pins and needles, to feel numb. 98 [34.234.83.135] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 12:32 GMT) 99 “鼓浪屿” 鼓浪屿 (gŭ làng yŭ):“drum wave islet/island,” a small island off the coast of Xiamen city. Following China’s loss in the First OpiumWar and the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, this island was settled by foreigners from eleven countries, and many churches and hospitals were established. Just under two square kilometers, the island contains over two hundred pianos, and is a popular tourist destination, as well as a source of national pride. Konxinga (or Zheng Chenggong) was a military commander of the Ming dynasty. In mainland China, he is often considered a hero. He defeated the Dutch East India Company inTaiwan, thus re-establishing Chinese rule over the area. 喵喵 (miao miao ): a peacock’s shriek (onomatopoeic). ...