The first couplet laments that he is a "rotten scholar" who is "mediocre" and only likes to have the ancient people's suicide notes to read. This is the origin of night reading, and his poetry is mediocre. Connecting Lu You's life ambition and Zhiyue, the connotation is not simple. In his early years, Lu You had great ambitions to serve the country. He was unwilling to regard himself as a "corrupt Confucian", but also thought of himself as a "genius". He called himself a "corrupt Confucian" and "Tan Wuqi", both of which included "I will not allow the world to accept it, and I will not accept it from the world" - that is, he was in power. If you don't know, you won't be rewarded. "I only like the posthumous compilation and do not deceive myself", which means disdain for the ups and downs of the world, but insisting on the ideal of "helping the world" derived from the "Tongbian". Compared with "The original meaning of reading is in Yuan Yuan" written when he was fifty-two years old, and "The reading of Wu Geng Shi Zi" written when he was sixty-seven years old, "the taste of books is more interesting in old age, and Xin Wei is clearly visible in the eyes", "Studying on a Winter Night" written when he was seventy-three, "My eyes want to read all the books in the world, but my strength is not enough and my will is more than enough. For thousands of years, I have wanted to pursue saints, but my generosity and self-confidence make me stupid", and "Reading on a Winter Night" written when I was seventy-five. "Although the holy master left his sutras far away, the old models will still remain for all ages. His white head is white and his heart of self-pity has not died, and the night window is full of thunder and lightning." "Reading shows that the situation is gloomy_" written when he was eighty-one years old. "Telling about Yu and Tang Dynasties through enduring hunger", "I don't bully ancient sayings", and "Telling about Tang and Yu Tang Dynasties from my teachers and friends" in "Studying" written when I was eighty-five years old, with many comfortable white collars. All the old sayings should be paid. "Wine, I know now if you believe in my book" and other sentences, the matter is self-evident.
The second couplet is written indoors and read at night, which are the two most exciting lines of the poem. Lu You was still proud of his sharp eyesight and strong teeth when he was old, but some white hairs may have appeared on his head. Therefore, before forty years ago, he had already talked about "white hairs", and a sentence here also said that "white hairs ruthlessly invade the old age." This sentence is not surprising when viewed in isolation. It contrasts with the next sentence, but it forms a beautiful artistic conception: People with "white hair" approaching the "old state", reading in front of the "green lantern" at night, still feel full of meaning, just like reading in childhood. "White hair", "Green Lantern", "Ruthless", "Tasteful", "Laojing" and "Childhood" all complement each other and make people think. Anyone who has been eager to learn since childhood and finds reading interesting, and who is still eager to learn when they are old, will feel warm and fascinated after reading this couplet, and will be immersed in the night reading scene described by the poet. This couplet and the later couplet "Sitting on a Windy Night", "The old things come to my eyes on pillows, hiding the lingering taste of books in my chest", can best touch the old feelings and the taste of books in the middle-aged and elderly people, and make them feel unspeakable. The situation and emotion are written "as if they are now". "Reading on a Winter Night" written by the poet when he was sixty-three years old: "After eating, it is tasteless, and a window is more than wide. I am looking for the dream of a general, but I am obsessed with short books." "Self-encouragement" written when he was seventy-seven Sentences such as "Reading is like self-reliance, loving the sun is like childhood" can be combined with this.
The third couplet writes about the autumn night from outside. There is a "chill" in the sound of falling leaves of "Gaowu". The drum beats repeatedly to announce the second watch. Tomorrow I will be busy with official duties. Although I am still very excited about reading, the "sleep period" is painful and cannot be postponed. Cece, Dongdong, the sound reaches the ears; the late autumn night, the scene is lifelike. The fourth couplet concludes by writing about eating before going to bed. Reading despite hunger, a cup of potato porridge cooked with yam is better than "qiongmi". From the eating situation, the author's poverty-stricken life and feelings of being content with poverty, happy with morality, and eager to learn are expressed. When he was eighty-four years old, he wrote "Reading till midnight and sighing about the richness of poetry" and other lines, such as "The old man's worldly thoughts have faded, but his love for ancient books has not changed. The broken monuments are still in the coffin, and he forgets to play with them all the time" and other sentences, which can be seen even more clearly. This kind of life and feelings of his are carried through to the end. The writing style of these two couplets is light, but the artistic conception is not thin.
Lu You's poetry style is unified but rich in diversity. This poem is his plain, smooth and profound work.