[Poem] EAST SLOPE - Han Yu’s Poetic Vision of Place and Impermanence

Though widely known for his essays and moral remonstrations, Han Yu also composed poems reflecting on nature, life’s transience, and the scholar-official’s perpetual journey. In “East Slope,” the poet weaves imagery of mist-shrouded hills, ancient woods, and the plaintive cries of geese to evoke both physical isolation and the bittersweet longing for home.

The poem begins by painting a hazy, almost dreamlike landscape: empty ridges wreathed in mist, tall trees that silently accompany the solitary traveler. Through these scenes, we sense the poet’s inward loneliness, accentuated by external cues—thin clouds rolling in at dusk, the call of wild geese crossing the sky. In the Tang era, the sound of geese was often a classic symbol of autumn, departure, and homesickness.

Han Yu’s lines allude to an official’s life of itinerancy: the ‘rustic wanderer’ arriving at a ‘humble hut’ gestures to the transitory, often humble accommodations such a traveler might find. Another recurrent theme in his verse is the tension between ambition and reality. He mentions being ‘weary in foreign lands’—a nod to the physical and emotional toll of extended service away from the imperial center, Chang’an. In dreams, he imagines traveling back to the capital, underscoring how distance from home and duty weighs heavily on his spirit.

Ultimately, the poem’s concluding lines offer a philosophical note: life, like autumn leaves, can swiftly drift away. Yet, on this East Slope, the poet steels himself against the winds of change and adversity. This may reflect Han Yu’s Confucian resolve—accepting the hardships that come with one’s duty, holding firm to a moral or personal calling despite the storms.

Even for modern readers, the poem resonates with the universal sense of being in a liminal space—longing for home yet persevering through trials and uncertainties. “East Slope” speaks to finding both steadfastness and solace amid life’s continuous transitions.