Su Shi was a writer, calligrapher and painter in the Northern Song Dynasty. He, his father Su Xun and his younger brother Su Zhe were collectively known as the "Three Sus". Below I have collected ancient poems by Su Shi from grades one to four for your reference. Presented to Liu Jingwen
Su Shi of the Song Dynasty
The lotus leaves have no rain cover,
The chrysanthemums are still covered with proud frost branches.
You must remember the good times of the year,
It is the time of orange and green.
Translation:
The lotus has withered, and even the lotus leaves that hold up the rain have withered. Only the branches of the chrysanthemums that have failed are still proud of the cold and frost. You must remember the best scenery of the year, that is in late autumn and early winter when oranges are golden and green.
Appreciation:
This poem is about the scenery in early winter. In order to highlight the "orange, orange and green," the best scenery of the year, the author first used highly generalized pen and ink to depict a picture of the remaining autumn: the lotus ponds that once had green leaves touching the sky and red flowers reflecting the sun have now long since The redness of the green has faded, and the withered stems and leaves can no longer hold up green umbrellas to block the wind and rain; the independent chrysanthemums in the sparse hedges, although the pedicles have lingering fragrance, have no whole branches and leaves, only the tall and straight branches fight against the wind. The frost is still strong. There are many forms of nature. Flowers bloom and fall in different seasons throughout the year. Here, the author only chose two types: lotus and chrysanthemum. The brilliance of the author lies in the fact that he does not simply write about the withering of lotus and chrysanthemums, but also extends his descriptive brushwork to express the decline of the flowers that dominate autumn. Lotus leaves and chrysanthemum branches. This is because among the flowers, "only the green lotus and the red lotus leaf" are "the flowers and the leaves complement each other". Li Shangyin's "Gift of Lotus" has always written about the leaves: such as. "Dian the lotus leaves in the stream and fold clear money" Du Fu's "Nine Quatrains", "The lotus leaves connecting the sky are infinitely green" Yang Wanli "Sent off to Lin Zifang at dawn from Jingci Temple", "Leave the withered lotus to listen to the sound of rain" Li Shangyin's "Su Luo" "His Pavilion Congratulates Cui Yong and Cui Gun"... From this point of view, the lotus leaves are indispensable for adding beauty to the lotus throughout its life. Su Shi knew this very well, so he used Qingyuwu. The cover indicates that the lotus has been completely exhausted, which is really vivid. Similarly, the reason why the chrysanthemum is known as the hero under the frost is not only because of its cold and fragrant stamens, but also because of its tall and strong branches. Only when the staff is disabled can it still stand proudly and independently, so that it can fully reflect its unique and proud character. The author's observation is meticulous, and his ability to grasp the essence of things is also very strong. The two sentences are opposite in words and connected in content. To knife. "There is no longer a knife," "there is still", all in one go, describing the difference between the two flowers.
However, whether they fade first or wither later, they are all out of date after all, and have to withdraw from the competition and give way to The vibrant pride of early winter - oranges and tangerines. At this point, the author reminds people with joy: Please remember that the most beautiful scenery of the year is still in the early winter when "green and yellow are mixed, and the writing is bad" in Qu Yuan's "Ode to Oranges". Season. Here oranges and oranges are mentioned together, but the focus is actually on oranges. From Qu Yuan's "Ode to Oranges" to Zhang Jiuling's "Encountering Oranges in the South of the Yangtze River", the orange tree has always been the "good tree" praised by the author, and the orange tree is actually "can be recommended." "Guest". The orange tree's steadfastness and integrity of "still green forest after winter" and "with its own cold heart" are not only inferior to those of lotuses and chrysanthemums, but also want to be comparable to pines and cypresses. "The chrysanthemums are still with proud frost branches", which was later borrowed by some people. It is a metaphor for an unyielding person.
Hu Zai's "Tiaoxi Yuyincong Hua" once compared this poem with Han Yu's "Early Spring in the Water Department Zhang Shiba Yuanwai". Similarly, the artistic skills of both poems are comparable, but the content of Su poetry is superior. This is because although Korean poetry also contains certain philosophy, it is still just a poem about scenery; Su poetry is not the same, it combines description of scenery, chanting of objects, and poetry. It praises people as a whole, uses objects to describe people, and praises Liu Jingwen's character and integrity. What Han Shi praises is the early spring that everyone thinks is good; but Su Shi regards those authors who are "sad for autumn and sad for spring" as the most depressed. The poem written in early winter is full of business and poetry, which also shows his open-minded, cheerful, unusual temperament and broad-mindedness. It is really short-tempered and thought-provoking. Although Su Shi wrote this poem as a gift to Liu Jingwen, it is about the scenery of early winter. There is not a word about Liu's personal moral articles. This does not seem to be the proper meaning of the title, but in fact, the author's brilliance lies in blending the praise of Liu's character and integrity into the early winter scenery without leaving any trace. In the description. Because in the author's opinion, the most beautiful scenery of the year is the orange-yellow-green scenery in early winter.
Orange trees, like pines and cypresses, are the most representative of people's noble character and steadfast integrity. Therefore, if we look at the emotional charm and rational interest, Su poetry seems to be slightly better than Korean poetry. Drinking on the Lake after the First Sunny Rain
Su Shi of the Song Dynasty
The clear water is beautiful only when the water is shining,
The sky and the misty rain on the mountains are also strange.
If you want to compare West Lake to Xizi,
It is always better to wear light makeup and heavy makeup.
Translation:
On a sunny day, the water of the West Lake is rippling, shining in the sun, and it is extremely beautiful. When it rains, the mountains in the distance are shrouded in mist and rain, appearing and disappearing, and the eyes are confused. This hazy scenery is also very beautiful. If the beautiful West Lake is compared to the beauty Xi Tzu, then whether it is light makeup or heavy makeup, it can always well highlight her natural beauty and charming charm.
Appreciation:
The first half of this poem not only describes the scenery of the West Lake, but also the sunny and rainy conditions of the West Lake. "The clear water is beautiful when the water is shining" describes the water light of West Lake on a sunny day: Under the bright sunshine, the water of West Lake is rippling, sparkling and very beautiful. "The color of the mountains is also strange in the sky and the rain" describes the color of the mountains on a rainy day: under the curtain of rain, the mountains around the West Lake are confused and vague, and it is very strange. From the first poem, we can know that on this day, the author accompanied his guests to a banquet in the West Lake all day long. The sun was bright in the morning, then it became overcast, and it started to rain after dusk. In the eyes of the author, who is good at appreciating nature and has deep feelings for the West Lake, water or mountains, sunny or rainy, are all beautiful and wonderful. From the praises "It's good when it's sunny" and "It's strange when it's raining", you can imagine the beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains in different weather conditions, and you can also imagine the author's excitement when painting on the scene, his free and easy character, and his broad mind. The scene in the first half is a scene of exchange and correspondence, the emotion is a broad and heroic feeling, the scenes blend together, and the scenes are relative between the sentences. The beauty of the West Lake is summarized, and the author Su Shi's feelings are fully expressed.
In the second half of the poem, the author did not follow the first two lines and further use his artistic style to describe the sunshine and rain of the lakes and mountains. The apt metaphor conveys the charm of the lake and mountains. Between the metaphor and the ontology, in addition to the fact that West Lake and Xizi share the same word "西" literally, the author's focus is only on the current beauty of West Lake. In terms of the wind and charm, it is similar to the imaginary beauty of Xishi. There are indescribable similarities. And precisely because the beauty of West Lake and Xizi lies in the gods, for West Lake, whether it is sunny or rainy, and for Xizi, whether it is light makeup or heavy makeup, it will not change its beauty, but can only change its beauty. Add to its beauty. There are two opposite interpretations of this metaphor: one theory is that the author "compared the West Lake on a sunny day to the West Lake with light makeup, and the West Lake on a rainy day compared with the West Lake with heavy makeup"; the other theory is that the author "compared the West Lake with sunny days to the West Lake with heavy makeup, It’s better to wear light makeup on a rainy day.” Both theories have their own opinions and basis. But as far as the talented author is concerned, this is a metaphor for the gods that comes accidentally from a master's hand, and a magical stroke of poetry that comes to him by chance. It is just a momentary meeting of mind and scenery. From the beautiful scenery of the West Lake to Xizi as the incarnation of beauty, from the "West Lake" "Sunny days are good" and "Rain is also strange". I imagine that Xizi should also "light makeup and heavy makeup are always suitable". When he was setting up the metaphor and writing, I am afraid that he may not necessarily stick to the two of sunny and rain. Which one refers to heavy makeup and which one refers to heavy makeup. Light makeup. When appreciating this poem, if heavy makeup and light makeup must be classified as sunny and rainy respectively, it may damage the integrity of the metaphor and the ethereal beauty of the poem. Inscribed on the West Forest Wall
Su Shi of the Song Dynasty
Viewed horizontally, it forms a ridge and a peak on the side, with different heights near and far.
I don’t know the true face of Mount Lu, just because I am in this mountain.
Translation:
Seen from the front, the mountains of Mount Lushan are rolling. Seen from the other side, the peaks of Mount Lushan are towering. Seeing Mount Lushan from a distance, near, high, and low, Mount Lushan presents various forms. A different look. I can’t recognize the true face of Mount Lu just because I am in Mount Lu.
Appreciation:
This poem describes the changing face of Lushan Mountain, and uses the scenery to reason, pointing out that observation problems should be objective and comprehensive. If it is subjective and one-sided, no correct conclusion can be drawn.
The first two sentences, "Looking at the side, it looks like a ridge and a peak on the side, with different heights from near and far", which is a realistic description of what you see when you travel to the mountains. Lushan Mountain is a large mountain with crisscrossing hills and undulating peaks. Visitors will see different scenery depending on their location. These two sentences summarize and vividly describe the ever-changing scenery of Lushan Mountain.
The last two sentences, "I don't know the true face of Mount Lu, just because I am in this mountain." They are reasoning in the scene and talking about the experience of traveling in the mountain. The reason why we cannot identify the true face of Mount Lushan is because we are in Mount Lushan and our field of vision is limited by the peaks and ridges of Mount Lushan. What we can see is only one peak, one ridge, one hill and one valley of Mount Lushan. This is only partial. This is bound to be one-sided. These two wonderful sentences bring out the entire artistic conception, providing readers with a space to reflect on their experiences and gallop their imaginations. This is not just a rational understanding that comes from traveling through mountains and rivers. This is what you see when you travel to the mountains, and it is often the same when you observe things in the world. These two poems have rich connotations. They enlighten people to understand a philosophy of dealing with people - because people are in different positions and have different starting points for looking at problems, their understanding of objective things will inevitably be one-sided; to understand the truth of things and the overall picture, we must transcend the narrow scope and get rid of subjective prejudices.
A benevolent person sees benevolence, and a wise person sees wisdom. A small poem arouses people's infinite aftertaste and deep thinking. Therefore, "Inscribed on the Wall of the Western Forest" is not only the author's praise of the wonders and majesty of Mount Lu, but also Su Shi's understanding of the truth derived from it with the perspective of a philosopher. Since this kind of understanding is profound and in line with objective laws, in addition to the beautiful images of valleys and peaks that give people a sense of beauty, the poem also contains profound philosophy that enlightens people's minds. Therefore, this little poem is extraordinarily implicit and far-reaching, making people read it endlessly.
The meaning of this poem is very profound, but the language used is extremely simple. Explaining the profound things in a simple way is exactly one of Su Shi's language characteristics. When Su Shi wrote poems, he had no habit of carving. What the author pursues is to use a simple, smooth and fluent language to express a fresh and unprecedented artistic conception; and this artistic conception is shining with the light of philosophy from time to time. Judging from this poem, the language expression is concise, but its connotation is rich. In other words, poetry itself is a highly unified image and logic. In four lines of poetry, the author summarizes the characteristics of the image of Mount Lu, and at the same time accurately points out the reason why looking at the mountain is incomprehensible. The vivid sensibility and clear rationality are intertwined, causing each other, and the image of the poem is therefore sublimated into a typical example in the realm of reason. This is why people regard the last two sentences as philosophical aphorisms thousands of times.
If the poetry tradition before the Song Dynasty was characterized by expressing aspirations and emotions, then in the Song Dynasty, especially Su Shi, a new style of poetry characterized by reasoning and reasoning emerged. This style of poetry is a new path developed by the Song Dynasty people after Tang poetry. In Su Shi's words, it is "creating new ideas in the law and expressing wonderful principles in the bold and unrestrained". The characteristics that form this type of poetry are: shallow language and deep meaning, embodying the meaning of things, and conveying a taste of indifference. "Inscribed on the Silin Wall" is such a good poem.