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The theme of love in Li Qingzhao's poetry
Li Qingzhao is one of the best-known poets in China and the entire Asian community who wrote several poems in the 12th century. She was born in 1084 in J’nan, Shandong province to an aristocratic and scholarly family that was dedicated to educating their daughters. Her father was a professor at the Imperial Academy and also a prose writer whereas her mother was a writer of poetry. Qingzhao acquired extensive knowledge of literature and classics in her teenage as she also remained devoted and focused on her academics. Literary work was part of her life; even as a young girl she wrote delightful little lyrics on her outings to the near beauty spots. She stood up in a literary world that was dominated by men in an unusual way at that particular period as Chinese women were actively discouraged from any form of writing. She pressed on and her determination of creating her space in the male literary tradition never died (Ring).
At eighteen, she got married to Zhao Mingcheng-a student at the Imperial Academy- in the year 1101 and lived in Shandong; he later died in 1129. Fortunately, they both had a mutual interest in art collection and epigraphy, and they collected many books as a result. They enjoyed touring the city and the neighborhoods and many other places in quest of favorite antiques and the ancient books that helped in refining of her poetic style. Zhao was mostly absent after he started his official career, and this inspired some of the love poems that she wrote. They shared love poetry and hence many times wrote poems for one another (LaFleur). Li Cingzhao bravely wrote about nature, longing, and love. For instance, Poem No. 43.
“I've heard spring is still lovely at Twin Streams,
I'd like to go boating in a light skiff there
But fear the tiny grasshopper boats they