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56<br />
the subtext, however, is more complex than what was seen in Yang Jiong's final couplet:<br />
不 求 生 入 塞<br />
Not seeking to stay alive when entering the frontier,<br />
唯 当 死 报 君<br />
30<br />
Only wishing to die to pay a debt <strong>of</strong> gratitude to you, my lord. 31<br />
(lines 7-8)<br />
One the one hand, it could be argued that the self-sacrifice willingly chosen by the poet-narrator<br />
shuns any desire for self-aggrandizement and <strong>of</strong>ficial recognition as it is only through death, and thus<br />
the inability to enjoy recognition, that one is able to truly serve one's lord. 32 However, even with the<br />
cessation <strong>of</strong> the poet-narrator's life, glorious acknowledgement <strong>of</strong> services rendered on the frontier by<br />
the deceased could still be made by those among the living. Should sheer recognition <strong>of</strong> one's efforts<br />
eclipse any need for personal awareness <strong>of</strong> such recognition, and if only through life-extinguishing<br />
service could such efforts possibly be made, a craving for third-party affirmation <strong>of</strong> one's military<br />
service cannot be entirely dismissed as the main motivating factor for assisting in the defence <strong>of</strong> the<br />
nation at its periphery since such acknowledgement is still capable <strong>of</strong> being made even without the<br />
acknowledgement <strong>of</strong> the deceased.<br />
The artificial division <strong>of</strong> poetry into eras does not create homogenous lumps <strong>of</strong> predictability;<br />
exceptions always exist. Though <strong>of</strong>ten classified as Early Tang poetry, Chen Zi'ang's “Stirred By My<br />
Experiences, No. 35” (“Ganyu 35 shou ” 感 遇 三 十 八 首 之 三 十 五 ) is actually divested <strong>of</strong> the self<br />
interest found in many Early Tang frontier poems which espoused a longing to serve the nation in a<br />
military capacity. Even with a tone <strong>of</strong> fatalistic resignation towards the impossibility <strong>of</strong> achieving glory<br />
serving one's lord in a militaristic capacity was the hallmark <strong>of</strong> Early Tang frontier poetry.<br />
30<br />
QTS 78.840.<br />
31<br />
The impression from such a short excerpt may be that the sentiments expressed in Luo Binwang's frontier poetry are<br />
narrow and limited to a desire to serve the nation. This certainly is not the case. In possessing the comparatively rare<br />
experience <strong>of</strong> having spent extended and extensive time on the frontier, many <strong>of</strong> Luo's frontier poetry works include a<br />
degree <strong>of</strong> realism which would become more frequent in later frontier poetry <strong>of</strong> the High Tang. In addition to a forthright<br />
declaration <strong>of</strong> dedication to the country's territorial integrity, Luo Binwang's frontier poetry also steps into the despair<br />
and toil <strong>of</strong> frontier service, brief sketches <strong>of</strong> frontier environment, scenes <strong>of</strong> army barracks and a thick longing for home<br />
only possible through extended absence. In short, Luo's frontier poetry was able to escape from the frontier fantasies <strong>of</strong><br />
the Southern dynasty and incorporate both historical and personal knowledge <strong>of</strong> the frontier into its compositions. See<br />
Ren Wenjing 任 文 京 , “Luo Binwang de biansaishi 骆 宾 王 的 边 塞 诗 ”Wenshi zhishi 文 史 知 识 2007.12, pp. 10-17.<br />
32<br />
Kam-lung Ng, “Tangdai biansaishi yanjiu”, p. 136.