Painting the Stars, Composing the Ages

Summary of Chapter One of The Starry River Dyed in Ink: A Record of Poetry with Changji and Muzhi In the late autumn of the seventh year of the Xuanhe era, beneath an ancient locust tree at Fan Temple in Bianjing, “I,” the first-person protagonist, is struggling to understand the poetry of Li He and Du Mu despite studying it diligently. An unexpected vision brings me face-to-face with the two poets, Li He and Du Mu, who are both secondary protagonists, across the boundaries of time. They teach me how to refine diction and weave emotion into scenery, using “Hearing a Flute on an Autumn Night” as their theme. Li Qingzhao later joins them, and together they help me revise my verses. Before we part, Li He and Du Mu invite me to discuss poetry again beside Qujiang Pool in Chang'an. I also realize the true meaning of poetry: one must enter the scenery with one's heart and make it one's own.