The Structure and Rhetorical Techniques of the Classical Poem “Caught in a Rain by a Stream”

Abstract

The classical Chinese poem “Caught in a Rain by a Stream” is a quatrain with seven-character lines. It vividly describes the rain and the tender and beautiful scene of the sunset. The features of this poem worthy of study its psychological and emotional factors, expressed by the poem’s characters though difficult to see. Thus, this study explores the poem’s structure and rhetorical techniques to further clarify the psychological and emotional aspects deeply hidden in its characters. This study adopts a qualitative research method to analyse the characters, the lines, and the overall context. The research findings also include a consideration of the spatial structure and rhetorical techniques applied. This study endeavours to help readers learn more about classical Chinese poetry.

Key words: Tao-Jung Tsui, Caught in a Rain by a Stream, classical poetry