A Poetry Lesson for Stupid Men, on the Subject of the "Challenge All Men in the World" Post

Since this lady posted the "Challenge All Men in the World" couplet, many male apes have come in making fools of themselves, producing responses that would make any literate person weep. So this lady will kindly give these stupid men a lesson in poetry and couplets.

First, a couplet is not just about matching character for character. The tonal pattern must match -- level tone against oblique tone. The semantic parallelism must be elegant, not forced. And most importantly, the lower couplet must answer the upper couplet, not merely imitate it.

Second, in the upper couplet "Japan rises in the east, shining across Shikoku and Kyushu," there are multiple layers of meaning. "Japan" means both the country and "the sun." "Shikoku" means both the Japanese island and "four countries." "Kyushu" means both the Japanese island and "nine provinces" (ancient name for China). A good response must operate on multiple levels too, not just at face value.

Third, the response must surpass the upper couplet in momentum. If the upper couplet is aggressive, the lower couplet must be even more so. Merely matching it equals losing.

Most of the male apes' responses were embarrassingly simplistic, matching only at the surface level while missing all the deeper meanings. This is what happens when people who've never studied classical Chinese poetry try to write couplets. Go back and study the basics before embarrassing yourselves again!