The Eight-sided Fortress ( The Eightfold Battle Formation )
- Poetry of Du Fu

Five-character-quatrain

It was written in the first year of the Dali reign of the Tang Dynasty (766).

Studded with a myriad of historical and military allusions, this poem reveres the historical figure Zhuge Liang, who was a brilliant military strategist and crucial in confronting the Three Kingdoms. In the first line of the poem, the Three Kingdoms (三分国), reference the kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu, which divided China during AD 220-280. During this period, each of these three kingdoms used bloody warfare and political schemes to topple the others from their seats of power. Zhuge Liang’s achievements arose from his ability to use the confusing mazes and elemental strength of his eight elements battle formation to frighten his opponents, specifically those in Wu, into retreat. The terms 功 and 名 depict Zhuge Liang’s hard-achieved feats and the poet’s reverence for him.

Although Zhuge Liang’s achievements are immeasurable, he harbors one regret. In the last two lines of the poem, Du Fu’s tone shifts from pride to wistfulness. Using a scene provided by nature — the stones at the bottom of a river — Du Fu illustrates Zhuge Liang’s regret of not conquering the Wu Kingdom.