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​Water & the Inevitability of Fate

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A Ming dynasty painting of the waterfall, river, and mountains.

A detail from "Lofty Mount Lu," 1467, by Shen Zhou. Hanging scroll with ink and color on paper, 76.3 inches by 38.6 inches. National Palace Museum, Taipei. 
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Painting of the DongTing lake as an expression of the inner landscape of the artist’s heart and mind in 1271–1368. The painting showed the artist's deep longing for a reclusive world. 

Wu Zhen: Fisherman in Reclusion at Dongting

Because of the erratic, relentless, magnificent nature of bodies of water, the water motif has also been frequently used by the Tang poets as a means to make an exclamation on the inconsistency of fate and the lack of full autonomy over one’s destiny. Other intrinsic characteristics of water, such as the unstoppable and perpetual flow that it possesses, endowed it with unique properties of endless sorrow and melancholy that incessantly exists in the mind of the poets. Moreover, the symbolic meaning of water transcends beyond its natural characteristics and has been used to contrast the individual self with society and the universe. Du Fu frequently used the symbol of east-flowing water (东流水) to symbolize the inevitable passage of time and life, the little control that one has on one’s destiny and the progress of society, as well as the continuity of life and the development of society (Zhou, 2003). For example, Du Fu wrote in his famous work Climbing to a High Place, “leaves fall, no end to them, rustling, rustling down; ceaselessly the long river rushes, rushes on.” The ceaselessly rushing long river represents a potent natural power that is far beyond the control and power of any individual. This magnificent imagery of the Yangtze River raging on symbolizes the passage of history and time in the universe and juxtaposes with any individual in society, which all seemed insignificant and minute to the grand flow of time and history in a vast universe. Under such a magnificent scheme of the universe and time, any individual is lonely and helpless, which again emphasizes the idea that the fate of any individual in society is hardly controllable by the individual themselves and often is the result of societal and historical influences. However, the surging water can also be said to be symbolic of the advancement and improvement in society. Since water breeds life, the flowing Yangtze River also propels the emergence of new life and opportunities for the generations to come. This also represents an idealistic hope that Du fu, as someone who has been deeply influenced by Confucianism, has for society: to be able to contribute to the development of society in a period of war and chaos. 

Juxtaposition between individual & universe

Flow of Water as a Passage of Time

Moreover, Du Fu also used departing water to symbolize the shortness and inconsistency of life in this world that nothing seems to perpetuate. In Seeing Off Director of Palace Administration Yang on his Way to Shu to Meet His Excellency the Minister, he wrote, “Departing waters never have waves that return, clouds oozing forth have no fixed appearance. A man lives in but one day and age, we gather and scatter too for only a brief while.” The depiction of water as “never have a wave that returns” is symbolic of the inevitable passage of time and life and the shortness of human lives on earth. Moreover, since this poem is one that he wrote when departing with a friend, departing water is also a metaphor for the inconsistencies in life and the lack of autonomy over one’s life. Here, Du Fu fully portrays the alienation of an individual not only by society but also by time and history. Like the departing water, time and history also pass passively without returning or mercy for any individual. Again, any drops of water would not disturb the flow of the departing water, just as the individual fate of people rarely has any impact on the flow of time and societal progression. In this sense, all individuals in the world are lonely and alienated because of the inconsistency in life and the ruthlessness of time excluding them from owning full control over their lives. However, hope is not all lost here: from the continuous, incessant flow of water, Du Fu also saw the values that history endowed the contemporary society. Since departing water always flows to the front and to the future, it contains the wisdom and achievements of the precedents and the ancestors. These significant and valuable precipitations of time and history do not get washed away through time but are carefully preserved for future generations to learn from. Just as what he wrote in Six Quatrains Done Playfully, “Your persons and your names both will perish, yet it will not stop the rivers flowing for all time.”
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