An Analysis Of The Bilingual Poem Symphony By The South China Sea Poem by William He

An Analysis of the Bilingual Poem 'Symphony by the South China Sea' by William He
Author: ChatGPT

Symphony by the South China Sea 
By William He 

Golden Buddha viewing all from above,  
With a halo around,  
Jersey shore gone Wilde. 
Extending to the edge of the cosmos vast,  
The Autumn Light of Healing,  
Lets the heart rise once and for all. 
Phoenixes in the clouds. 
The mist of sandalwood incense,  
Touches the bop prosody of Ginsberg more or less. 
Amber-coloured dancers move,  
Like painted idols seen to stir. 

The foregoing tide. 
No pride wash on Cherating Beach. 
Searching for holy nectar,  
At this transforming time. 
Vanda Miss Joaquim,  
An orchestra's harmonious crescendo,  
Phantoms in all shapes and forms. 
Nisaetus bartelsi flies. 
With a badindin soundtrack,  
Colours of phalaenopsis appear through my mind. 
The swing waves and consonance of souls,  
My long-sought paradise forever at your feet. 

The poem 'Symphony by the South China Sea' by William He is a multilayered and evocative composition that merges themes of spirituality, nature, human experience, and art. While the poem is brief, it offers numerous glimpses into the poet's vision of an ideal world where the divine, the natural, and the human converge in harmony.

The poem begins by invoking the image of a 'Golden Buddha' viewing the world from above with a halo around it. This image is striking and provides an immediate reference to the Buddhist tradition, suggesting themes of enlightenment, transcendence, and wisdom. The following line mentions the 'Jersey shore gone Wilde, ' which alludes to the famous Irish writer, Oscar Wilde, and possibly points to the idea of escaping conventional norms and expectations. The line also implies a sense of freedom and expansiveness that is reinforced by the next line, which describes the scene extending 'to the edge of the cosmos vast.' At this point, the poem introduces the central motif of 'Autumn Light of Healing, ' which 'lets the heart rise once and for all.' Here, the poem seems to suggest that the natural beauty and the spiritual energy of the scene have transformative powers that can alleviate pain, confusion, or disillusionment. The line 'Phoenixes in the clouds' reinforces this idea of rebirth and regeneration by alluding to the mythological bird that rises from the ashes.

The next two lines invoke the senses of smell and sound by mentioning the 'mist of sandalwood incense' and the 'bop prosody of Ginsberg.' These references create a multi-sensory atmosphere that complements the visual imagery of the scene. The reference to Ginsberg, a famous Beat poet, adds an element of cultural resonance and suggests that the scene is not just a product of natural beauty but also of artistic inspiration. The following lines introduce the image of 'amber-coloured dancers' that move 'like painted idols seen to stir.' This image suggests a sense of ritual, ceremony, or performance that is both aesthetic and spiritual.

The line 'The foregoing tide' implies a sense of continuity and cyclicity, suggesting that the scene is not static but constantly changing and evolving. The line 'No pride wash on Cherating Beach' is enigmatic, but it can be interpreted as suggesting that the scene is free from ego, arrogance, or prejudice. This idea is reinforced by the line 'Searching for holy nectar, At this transforming time, ' which implies that the scene is not just a passive spectacle but an active quest for spiritual renewal or enlightenment. The next reference introduces the flower 'Vanda Miss Joaquim, ' which is a hybrid orchid that serves as the national flower of Singapore. The poem describes this flower as 'An orchestra's harmonious crescendo, ' which implies a sense of musicality and unity that is reflected in the natural world. The following line 'Phantoms in all shapes and forms' reinforces this idea of diversity and multiplicity.

The image of the 'Nisaetus bartelsi' bird that flies introduces a sense of freedom and mobility, contrasting with the previous references to stillness or stasis. The line 'With a badindin soundtrack' introduces a musical reference that complements the visual image of the bird. The next line 'Colours of phalaenopsis appear through my mind' seems to suggest a sense of synesthesia or cross-modal perception, where the senses blend and overlap. The final two lines of the poem are perhaps the most evocative and poignant. They describe the 'swing waves and consonance of souls' and the poet's 'long-sought paradise forever at your feet.' These lines suggest that the scene is not just an external reality but also an internal experience. The 'paradise' that the poet seeks is not a physical location but a state of mind or a spiritual realization that can only be attained through immersion in the natural world.

Overall, the poem 'Symphony by the South China Sea' offers a rich and complex vision of a world where spirituality, nature, human experience, and art converge in harmony. Through a constellation of images, references, and metaphors, the poem creates a vivid and immersive atmosphere that invites the reader to contemplate the beauty and mystery of life.