ripped him of his dignity had a very profound effect on him. Instead of lashing out by killing his co-workers, he killed himself: “Best to die promptly, to vanish away, / for I cannot bear to show myself thus.” Before doing this, Qu Yuan ascends to the Heavens and goes on a bizarre quest of fulfillment. He appeals to deities to aid him, but to no avail:I tied there a message, and bade Lady Mumbler act as my envoy….she suddenly balked, she could not be swayed…. though beautiful truly, she lack right behavior, I let her go then, I sought for another. The events of his past life have made Qu Yuan very cynical. This creates a dichotomy between Qu Yuan’s actions and his attitudes. He is in search of an ideal that fulfills his yearnings, yet he is uncertain as to whether this ideal exists or not. Qu Yuan is given a good piece of news from the Sovereign spirit on where to find what he is looking for. He reaches his destination only to reach it rather anticlimactically. “My driver grew sad, my horses felt care…and would not go on. / In all the kingdom there is no man, no man who knows me.” He is left dejected and pondering: “then why should I care for that city my home?” Qu Yuan is truly tragic, but after thousands of years he is redeemed. Modern Chinese society views him as a patriot. “The Nine Songs”“The Nine Songs” contain shaman poems dedicated to different deities from the various areas of South China: “The Monarch of the East,” “Lord in the Clouds,” “The Princess of the Xiang River,” “Lady of the Xiang River,” “Junior and Senior Master of Lifespans,” “The Lord of the East,” “The River God,” and “The Mountain Spirit.” From the English translations, there does not seem to be a set form for the songs. Some of the songs are one long stanza, whereas ...
