| Issue No. |
Issue 37 |
| Title |
An Entomologist’s Discussion on various Interpretations of the Mayfly Poem in the Book of Odes |
| Author |
Akey C. F. Hung |
| Page |
1~20 |
| Abstract |
An insect was used in the “Mayfly Poem” from the Book of Odes to satirize the luxurious and extravagant lifestyle of the King Zhao and his officials, even though their kingdom was on the verge of collapse. The author of this poem did not clearly identify this insect. Consequently, there have been various interpretations of the last stanza depending on how each literary critic perceived this insect. In this paper, the merits of pertinent literatures are reviewed from an entomological point of view. The conclusion is that the insect depicted in this poem is indeed the mayfly of modern entomology, and not the terrestrial beetle as has been advanced by some authors. The phrase “jueyue掘閱” in the last stanza of this “Mayfly Poem” has been interpreted in at least six different ways: as the emergence of the mayfly; as the subimago molted into the adult mayfly; as the mayfly’s facial appearance; as the action of digging out of the ground with a fresh and bright body; of digging out of a tunnel; or the beauty of the mayfly’s body. Only the last interpretation, which describes the mayfly’s essential beauty rather than the insect’s activities or inconspicuous face, conforms to the morphology and ecology of mayflies. This interpretation is also consistent with the morphological description of the wings found in the first two stanzas of the poem.
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| Keyword |
Book of Odes, mayfly, entomology, morphology, ecology, aquatic insect, terrestrial beetle, jueyue掘閱,interpretation |
| Attached File |
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