One of the first signs of the beginnings of understanding is the wish to die. This life appears unbearable, another unattainable. One is no longer ashamed of wanting to die; one asks to be moved from the old cell, which one hates, to a new one, which one will only in time come to hate.
Bio: Bai Juyi was a renowned Chinese poet and Tang Dynasty government official. Many of his poems concern his career or observations made about everyday life, including as governor of three different provinces.
