Poems of all genres, by definition, are beautiful, even when the theme is dark and melancholy.  A poet’s passionate expression of his life experiences, whether happy or sad, is his way of sharing and expressing his very own living truths.  Love poems, like TuFu’s “Spring Gaze” most often touches the heart like any other.  But, in TuFu’s poems, his love isn’t for a girl; it’s for his country.  In this poem, “Spring Gaze”, TuFu exclaims his love for his country while it is being terrorized by war, and he is losing his homeland.  TuFu creatively incorporates his love for his home country with his surroundings, which he expresses in his art.
         This poem is full of meaning though it contains simple ideas.  On the surface, one would think this is a poem only simply illustrating a man’s love for his country.  But if the reader looks between the lines, they will find there is a much deeper meaning.  This poem expresses how a man is stricken by his country’s defeat in war.  He goes through so much pain and sorrow that he’s becoming a new person.  Now, he can’t even look at the grass or trees without tearing because all that his country has gone through touches him.  He sees how much the land itself has suffered and realizes how strong it is.  He can’t believe that the land has endured so much.  He also realizes how much family means to him, and now just a simple letter from home is worth “ten thousand in gold”.  Now family is not the only priority in his life, but also living out his own life in the most optimistic view possible.  In TuFu’s life, he suffered a lot of discouragement, and hence, he has a pessimistic view on life.  However, this poem tells how TuFu learns that life is not about accomplishing big things, but it is about cherishing those moments that really touch your heart.
         I enthusiastically recommend this poem to readers of all ages.  It is a great poem to learn from, and it absolutely comes from the heart.  Everyone, to some extent has lived through what this poet has written in words, so it is without a doubt one all can relate to.  My favorite part of this poem is when TuFu realizes how important his family is to him.  Often times, people go through their lives not cherishing their families; just taking them for granted.  But in this poem, TuFu tells how important one’s family is, and it reminds us that we need to cherish every single moment we have with our families.  This poem is perfect the way it is and I would not change a single aspect of it.  The wording is beautiful and flowing (when spoken in Chinese) and it reflects TuFu’s life experiences in a very profound view.