Chinese Hours: Reference in Poem?

[DDD]

Greetings. I was hoping someone could clarify the following references to Chinese hours:

... How sorry I am we don't,

in the way of the Chinese, name hours;

that this is 7 a.m., and not an hour named

for a planet, or after the man who perfected

the process of silvering glass.

-- Aleda Shirley, from "Aubade," Poetry, November 1986 (cited under fair use)

Does anyone know what Chinese hours she's referring to, and what planet and person they're named after?

Thanks -- DDD

[edelweis]

http://en.wikipedia....arthly_Branches

Not sure what the poem is about with the planets and inventors.

(I don't know about English, but French does have names for the hours, which are the names of the catholic prayers you're supposed to say at that time. Like nones, matines, vêpres etc.)

[imron]

It's worth noting, just in case you miss it in the Wikipedia entry, that when used as hours, they are not hours, but "double hours" (see the far right column in the table).