The "After the Red Cliff Rhapsody" is a poem written by the Chinese poet Su Shi, also known as Su Dongbo, written as a counterpart to the "Before the Red Cliff Rhapsody". The poem combines a mysterious series of events with some philosophical speculation. The philosophy that informs the poem is more opaque than that which fills the first poem. Like the first, it probably somehow involves Su Shi's conflicted feelings towards his exile, as well as the solace he finds from his religious beliefs.
The plot of the poem takes place around the same time as the first poem. Su Shi again goes boating with some friends, again drinking some wine. This time, under the influence of the wine, he runs up the cliffs, and reaches the top, described in eerie terms. There, he takes place in some Taoist breathing exercises, but suddenly feels overcome by fear. He runs back down to the boat, where him and his friends return home. While floating on the river, a gigantic crane flies directly over their boat.
Later that night, while sleeping, Su Shi has a dream where a Taoist monk appears to him, and asks if he had a fun trip. Su Shi realizes that the monk was actually the crane, and suddenly "wakes up", a term that in Chinese refers both to his awakening from the dream as well as having a sudden realization.
As opposed to the first Rhapsody, which has a rather neat, positive ending, the philosophical meaning as well as the personal message of this poem are less obvious; and perhaps less comforting.