Cao Cao (155—220) was born in Mengde and Peiguoqiao (now Hao County, Anhui Province). At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in the process of suppressing the Yellow turban insurrectionary army, Cao Cao gradually strengthened his military strength, and later held the emperor as a vassal to unify the northern part of China. After Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor, he was honored as Emperor Wu.
Cao Cao's "external force, internal text" is the pioneer of Jian 'an literature situation. His literary achievements are first manifested in poetry. Most of his poems follow the ancient themes of Han Yuefu, but they are based on events, reflect real social phenomena or express their feelings in content.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, wars were frequent and people were in dire straits. Many of Cao Cao's works reflect the dark reality of this period. Hao Li Xing, for example, describes that Yuan Shao and other Kanto generals set out to beg Dong Zhuo at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, which led to the warlords fighting and killing each other. These two sentences, "White bones are exposed in the wild, and there are no crows in a thousand miles" and "There are hundreds of people left behind, and people are judged", truly and profoundly describe the disasters brought to the people by the war. The poem is broad and vigorous, expressing Cao Cao's sympathy for the people suffering from war. Another example is Autumn Deer Journey, which depicts the dark reality that General He Jinmi summoned Dong Zhuo to Beijing in order to eliminate eunuchs at the end of the Han Dynasty, but eventually led to Dong Zhuo's rebellion and warlord scuffle. He satirized He Jin in sharp and short language, and concentrated his grief and indignation in the ten words "Looking at Belo City, I feel sad". Great spirit and deep feelings. Together with Hao, Zhong Xing called it: "A record of the end of the Han Dynasty is also a real history of poetry."
In the poem A Journey to Bitter Cold, Cao Cao described the hard military life in plain words. "Why am I depressed? The sentence' I want to return to the East' shows the true and profound homesickness of the sergeant. " "Walking East and West" wrote homesickness with a gloomy and sad pen, and the sadness echoed with vigorous spirit. Zhong Rong commented on Cao Cao's poems in Shi Pin: "Cao Gong is old and straight, and there are sad sentences. "That's true.
In addition to reflecting social reality, Cao Cao has many works to express his feelings and his lofty political ambitions. Short Song and Out of Summer Gate are the representatives of this kind of works.
The former laments that life is short, and "the Duke of Zhou vomits food, and the world returns to his heart" sincerely yearns for talents. The whole poem 16 sentences is full of magnificent spirit and rich emotions, and only a talented and capable person like Cao Cao can sing such heroic words. The latter's chapter "Although you live a long life" vividly expresses the heroic pride of being old and strong. The chapter "Looking at the Sea" embodies the heroic spirit of the poet who is ambitious and all-powerful. "The trip to the sun and the moon, if unexpected; By describing the magnificent scenery, it shows Cao Cao's broad tolerance.
Shen Deqian pointed out: "Writing current events in ancient Yuefu began with Cao Gong." ("Ancient Poetry Source" Volume 5) Cao Cao was not bound by the old saying, but paid attention to the style of writing that reflected reality and created a generation of style of writing. There are few flowery words in his poems, but they are full of majestic momentum in simple and heavy language, sad and generous, and he is really the pioneer of "Jian 'an Style".
Cao Cao's achievements in prose are also outstanding. Under the influence of Ci and Fu, the prose in Han Dynasty paid attention to form, but lacked content. Cao Cao changed the complicated prose form and expressed his true feelings in plain language. Rang Xian Zi Ming Ben Lexus is the representative work of his prose. The article uses plain, frank and calm language to cut into the chest without affectation, which fully shows the extraordinary courage and spirit of an outstanding politician and strategist. Other works, such as "Giving a Xian Order without Arresting a Line" and "Ode to Laoqiu Bridge", express their inner feelings without sticking to form, showing a new look of Jian 'an prose.
Cao Pi (187-226) is the second son of Cao Cao. Jian 'an was a corps commander with five senses for sixteen years, and also a deputy prime minister. In the twenty-second year of Jian 'an, Cao Cao made him Wang Wei. In the first month of the 25th year of Jian 'an, Cao Cao died. He inherited Cao Cao's official position and title and became Prime Minister and Wang Wei. This winter, he abolished Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty and became Emperor Wei, known as Wei Wendi in history.
Cao Pi is knowledgeable and loves literature, and has made great achievements in literary creation and theoretical research. Among his poems, five-character poems and seven-character poems are the highest achievements. The theme of the poem mainly revolves around wandering and thinking about women. Cao Pi's five-character poems are represented by two miscellaneous poems. The first part of Miscellaneous Poems begins with "The autumn night is long and the north wind is fierce", describing the bleak scene of traveling abroad. Sighing the wind and breaking my gut expresses the traveler's deep yearning, helplessness and lament for his hometown in popular brushwork. The second part of Miscellaneous Poems is that there is a floating cloud pavilion in the northwest, such as a car cover. Unfortunately, if you don't meet, you will meet a gust of wind. Blow me to the southeast, swim Wuhui "four sentences use metaphors and associations, which leads to my feeling of being far away from my hometown." Then four sentences "Wu Hui is not his hometown, stay forever." Abandon, don't repeat, the guest is always afraid of people. "It deeply touched the loneliness and anxiety of a person living in troubled times and in a foreign land."
Cao Pi's seven-character poems are graceful and euphemistic in style. The most famous ones are lines, rhyming sentences, blending scenes, clear language and sad feelings, which show the heroine's lonely mood and deep yearning for her husband. Wang Fuzhi commented on Ge Yanxing in this way: "There is no difference between ancient and modern times in emotion, color and sound." Ge Yanxing can be said to be the earliest existing seven-character poem in China, and Cao Pi has made great contributions to creating a new situation of seven-character poem.
Some of Cao Pi's poems are about people's livelihood and military life. For example, Ling, Guang Mazuo and Li are not as generous and sad as Cao Cao's poems, but they are also quite powerful.
Cao Pi's achievements in prose are also very high. His prose is elegant and well-written. Dian Lun is the first special issue of literary criticism in China, which occupies an important position in the history of literary criticism. In addition, his and Wu's books add a lot of lyrical elements to the practical letters, creating an atmosphere in which the letters of scholars in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties emphasize the use of words and have a strong literary color.
Cao Zhi (192—232), Zi Zijian, brother of Cao Pi. He was the most famous writer in Jian 'an period, and his works were handed down from generation to generation. Cao Zhi was brilliant and eloquent since he was a child, and wrote a chapter, which won Cao Cao's favor. Cao Cao once thought that Cao Zhi was the "most important" among the philosophers, and wanted to make him a prince several times. However, Cao Zhi's behavior was laissez-faire, repeatedly breaking the law, and finally lost to Cao Pi in the struggle to establish the reserve team. In the twenty-five years of Jian 'an, Cao Cao died of illness and Cao Pi succeeded Wei. Since then, Cao Zhi's life has undergone fundamental changes, becoming the object of being restricted and attacked everywhere, and finally dying in frustration.
Cao Zhi's literary creation is bounded by Cao Pi's inheritance and divided into two periods with different styles. Before Cao Pi succeeded to the throne, Cao Zhi's life was relatively comfortable. During this period, his works mainly reflected his lofty political ideal of "benefiting the country and the people, making contributions, and opening up the stone" (Letter to Yang Zude). "White Horse" is a famous piece that has been passed down all the time. Described the martial arts of "wandering with the chivalrous man" and the ambition to make contributions to the country, so as to "put yourself in the forefront and settle down." Parents don't care, how can we talk about children and wives? A famous man is a strongman, and he is not allowed to take care of himself, which shows that he has the ambition to make contributions. The poetic style is vigorous and powerful, and the feelings are unrestrained. "Autumn Record": "I would like to show my diligence and defeat my strength in Mingjun. With this Wang Zuocai, he is generous and independent, which shows Cao Zhi's ambition to make contributions. In Yu Dan, the poet compares himself to a swan and despises snobs like Yu Dan and sparrows. " Fu Jian and Lei Yin, ferocious floating. The boaters are screaming. Who knows what a strong person is worried about? "Expressed his unique feelings and lofty ideals.
In Cao Zhi's early works, there are still some poems reflecting social reality, but the number is small. A trip to Mount Tai describes the poor life of the lower class. "Wife, like animals, amiable form according to Lin. When Chai Men was depressed, my room was full of foxes and rabbits, which presented a picture of depression and depression, and sympathy for the hard life of the lower class also came into being. The first part of the two poems: "The walls are full of holes, and the thorns are towering over the sky", "Why is Nakata depressed and there is no one in a thousand miles" is in sharp contrast with the prosperity of Luoyang in the past. The author is sad in troubled times, and his lines are full of sorrow for the broken reality.
After Cao Pi succeeded to the throne, Cao Zhi suffered great persecution, not only his personal freedom was strictly restricted, but also his close friends were killed one by one. Therefore, in Cao Zhi's later works, it is difficult for us to see that kind of optimistic and positive lofty aspirations, which are replaced by dissatisfaction with real life and treatment, as well as disappointment and grief that ambition is hard to pay.
Wang Biao on a White Horse is a masterpiece of Cao Zhi's later creation. It tells the story of Huang Chu who went to Beijing to worship heaven with Cao Biao, the white horse king, and Cao Zhang, the king of Rencheng, and was killed as the king of Rencheng when he arrived in Beijing. In July, I returned to the fief with the White Horse King. He wanted to use the opportunity of his peers to express his thoughts, but Cao Pi's minions and envoys in charge of the country forced them to part ways. The whole poem is well organized, and its words are only Hua Mao. It is full of bitterness and indignation that persecution and ambition are hard to be rewarded. This poem promoted the development of five-character poems and had a great influence on later generations.
Miscellaneous poems also reflect the disappointment and pain that the author's ambition to serve the country cannot be realized. "Miscellaneous Poems" Part V: "I wish to have light money, but unfortunately there is no cabinet. It is not my ambition to live in seclusion, but I would like to worry about my country "is a cry that he is strongly dissatisfied with the actual treatment, eager to make contributions, but has no enthusiasm to display." "Miscellaneous Poems (VI);" Looking southwest with a sword, I want to go to Mount Tai. It also reflects the author's strong desire not to live in seclusion, to realize his ideals and to make great achievements.
Xu Jie profoundly depicts the hardships of his exile. "I would like to be a forest grass, which will burn like wildfire in autumn. It won't hurt to die, but I want to be connected with my roots? These four sentences reveal the author's desire to return to his hometown and live a stable life. In the journey of the oriole in Noda, the author used the teenager as a metaphor, the Luo family as a metaphor for the contemporary ruler, and the oriole as a metaphor for his companions and friends. To express their desire to save friends and their disgust and resistance to the ruling class by teenagers "drawing swords and catching nets" Some of Cao Zhi's poems are written by symbolic means, which shows his melancholy in twists and turns. For example, in "Seven Wounded Poems", there is a poem saying that "the early bird can't fly south", which means that Cao Zhi compares himself to the early bird, implying that Cao Pi and his son are suppressed and persecuted by the barrier gas. "Beauty" refers to the tragic situation of beauty "seeking moral supremacy", implying that she has no talent, can't understand the Lord, and expresses her sorrow that her ambition is hard to be rewarded.
Luo Shen Fu is the representative work of Cao Zhi's Ci Fu, which describes a beautiful love story between man and God. The article gives a detailed description of Luo Shen's appearance, clothing and manners. The style of writing is exquisite and beautiful, the imagination is rich and vivid, and the feelings are sincere and profound, which has high literary value and aesthetic value.
"Poetry" said that Cao Zhi's poems "have a very high backbone and adopt Hua Mao's words". That's true. Cao Zhi's works are either impassioned, depressed or frustrated, or express his ambition to make contributions, or express his frustration. The style of writing is vigorous and powerful, and it is worthy of being a "very high backbone." In terms of structural ci-fu, Cao Zhi brought the "poetic beauty" of Jian 'an literature to the extreme. The structure emphasizes the use of metaphor, the language emphasizes gorgeous antithesis and refined words, which greatly improves the artistry of poetry.
Chen Ziang once held high the banner of "the character of Han and Wei Dynasties", while Zhong Rong lamented that "the wind of Jian 'an was exhausted" when he opposed the formalistic poetic style after Jin Dynasty! It can be seen that the influence of Jian 'an literature on later generations is far-reaching, and Cao Shi and his son played an important role in its development. Their creation broke the dreary situation of poetry in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and set off the climax of literati poetry for the first time. And the "Jian 'an style" formed by their generous and sad writing style has always been praised by future generations. Li Baiyou's statement that "the bones of great writers are all your brushes, and they are in the school of heaven" shows Sancao's great contribution to Jian 'an literature.