ABSTRACT
OUR DISCUSSION OF Yuan Mei's literary theory has concentrated on general concepts so far, but Yuan made many specific comments about the practice of the poet's craft both in his poetry talks and the other sources mentioned. Although he thought that true poetry arose naturally from the poet's nature and feelings, he had no illusions that great poetry was easy to write:
Maxims for poets
Don't brag of writing instant masterpieces on horseback;l A diligent poet like Sima Xiangru overthrew the virtuosos.2 Only when things are in short supply are they really valuable; Only poems that result from slow effort are truly talented. The most exalted music is difficult to perform;3 The epiphyllum's beauty is that it does not bloom lightly.4 How do you think people arrive at the paradise of bliss? Their self-perfection is based on lots of hard work!s
True poetry is not tossed off while riding on horseback, and a diligent author like Sima Xiangru was able to outdo his more "talented" contemporaries, just as the man who slowly cultivates his virtue may ascend to paradise in the end. Poetry has no place for mere virtuosos, and even the most talented poets should be prepared for much study and effort:
Poetry is not an easy affair. If even one word [of a poem] does not fit, if one line of it is not skilled, talented literati may exhaust their energy [to perfect it] until they are old but are still unable to set their minds at rest. Only those with profound accomplishments will be able to understand the defects and difficulties [of poetry.]6 Even verse that appears easy to write can involve considerable labor.
