In the Autumn Night
- Poetry of Du Mu

Seven-character-quatrain

Through employing chilly diction and imagery, Du Mu creates an aura of loneliness. It can be inferred that the subject of this poem is a young lady who lives in royalty; her silk fan in the second line of the poem suggests this to be true, as silk was a rare commodity and a symbol of wealth in ancient China. However, instead of being surrounded by other friends, this maiden plays with fireflies and sits alone in the middle of the night to gaze at the stars in the galaxy. Evidently, she is a lonely girl who, for some unknown reason, lives in isolation. Du Mu furthers this aura of isolation with the chilly setting; the terms 冷 (cold) and 凉 (cool) signify a lack of vitality and energy that comes in the presence of other people. Perhaps the reason for her secluded state lies in a broken heart; after all, the last line alludes to a prominent Chinese legend of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid, two lovers who were forced to separate due to their different statuses, one being a human and the other being a heavenly being. Young maidens who live in royalty often serve as concubines to the emperor; maybe this maiden is, in fact, a concubine for the emperor, but harbors a childhood love that distances her from her imperial friends. Although the reason behind her solitude remains unknown, it is clear that the subject of this poem experiences a desolate state of mind.