2022-10-09

I have created several poems in different languages that I have learned. Here is a Chinese one called Mid-Autumn Axial Symmetry (中秋节的轴对称). It does not strictly comply with the traditional rules of Chinese poetry, though.

九月九日 (Jiǔ yuè jiǔ rì) - September 9
月亮发光 (Yuèliàng fāguāng) - The Moon glows
秒短分长 (Miǎo duǎn fēn zhǎng) - Seconds short, minutes long
变个月饼 (Biàn gè yuèbǐng) - Turn into a moon cake
送给大家 (Sòng gěi dàjiā) - Gift it to everyone
中秋快乐 (Zhōngqiū kuàilè) - Happy Mid-Autumn Festival
九月十日 (Jiǔ yuè shí rì) - September 10

The concept behind this poem’s creation is that I have taken the middle phrase to serve as the x-axis, arranging phrases and sentences symmetrically with respect to the phrase. It does not take a symmetry-specific shape, instead, it acts as a framework for words to fill. The second event (negative y) suggests the reason for the occurrence of the first event (positive y).

The starting point, the phrase 变个月饼, actually originated from the writing of a Chinese friend; she wrote 变个艺术.