Description: We find timeless expressions of human experience in the poems of Su Dongpo (1037-1101), translated with grace and power by Lin and Young. We follow Dongpo through his life of political exiles while he ponders the transitory nature of reality with beauty and a sober lightness.
Brief description: A thousand years separate us from this Su Dongpo (1037-1101), and yet his voice, despite large differences of language, culture, and geography, feels fresh, immediate, and intimate. That is partly an eloquent testimony to the power of poetry to overcome time and change. Certain aspects of human experience are universal; a good poet understands that and can use it to advantage.