"To the Oak" is the representative work of Shu Ting, a poet of the Hazy School. Its refreshing style and fiery emotion have made countless people fall in love with this poem at first sight. The trend of hazy poetry emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Poets are good at creating hazy and ambiguous artistic conceptions through a series of trivial images. They make extensive use of metaphors, hints, synaesthesia, overall symbolism and other techniques to express their thinking about reality and affirm human nature. self-worth and dignity, and pay attention to the expression of the inner emotions of the creative subject.
Since it is a hazy poem, the theme of "To the Oak" is also ambiguous. It can be interpreted as a declaration of love or a declaration of personality. However, Kapok's affectionate talk about the oak tree is immersive to read. Each word "love" contains strong emotions and expresses what people want to say but can't. More and more people are willing to use this word to express their feelings. The poem is regarded as a declaration of love.
1. The implicit world of imagery and the sincere inner monologue
One of the charms of this poem lies in the perfect fusion of implicitness and candor. If it is too implicit, the song will be high-pitched and few, and it will be difficult to have a close friend; if it is too direct, the words will be full of meaning and lack of association. Shu Ting skillfully chose eight distinctive images to form a hazy and diverse world, supplemented by direct inner monologues such as "If I love you" and "No, these are not enough". The poem is advanced layer by layer, making the poetry melodious and exciting.
The "you" in the poem is oak and "I" is kapok. It is obvious that the poet mainly expresses his advocated view of love with the help of the two images of "oak" and "kapok". So they Is there any profound meaning in the difference? Let us first take a look at the verses describing them.
First look at the oak tree. "It's not just like a dangerous peak/increasing your height and setting off your majesty", it shows that the oak tree is tall, mighty and graceful. "You have your copper branches and iron trunks/like knives, like swords/and like halberds." These two sentences are the most focused on the image of oak trees. The branches are made of "copper" and the trunk is made of "iron". We seem to be able to see the luster of the metal and touch the hard texture, "like a knife, like a sword/also like a halberd". It seems that we can hear the sword coming out. The clanking sound of the sheath indicates that it is invincible and brave to kill the enemy. The poet uses five metaphors in a row to vividly describe the power and masculinity of the oak tree. The "you" in the poet's dialogue - the oak tree - symbolizes such a strong, brave and secure male image.
In contrast, "I" - "Kapok" is a feminine image that tends to be soft. "I have my red flowers/like a heavy sigh/and like a heroic torch", the colors are bright and warm, the flowers bloom wantonly, which is in sharp contrast with the coldness and hardness of "steel", highlighting the unique beauty of women. But this is by no means a charming and delicate traditional female image, but a new era woman who is "red" with personality and has "huge" flower buds. She is full of rich and vigorous life, and can "sigh heavily" in difficult situations. Those who are strong and forbearing can also hold up the "torch of heroism" to fight side by side and lead the way forward.
Kapok, also known as the hero tree, is 10-25 meters high, with a majestic appearance and masculine beauty.
In real life, due to different living habits, kapok and oak trees will not stand together at all. However, the poet Shu Ting deliberately chose "kapok" to represent the woman who matches the "oak".
Kapok is different. She stands next to the oak tree, "standing" with him "as the image of a tree", not "relying" or "attaching", but "standing". They are equal and independent individuals who support each other. "The roots are clenched in the ground/the leaves are touching in the clouds." They have a close relationship and cherish each other. "Every time the wind passes/we greet each other/but no one/understands our words." Their spiritual tacit understanding has become their The greatest happiness. "We share the cold wave, the wind and thunder, and the thunderbolt/We enjoy the mist, the mist, the mist, and the rainbow." They share the joys and sorrows, never leave, bravely defend their own love, and are unswerving. "It seems like we are separated forever/but we are always dependent on each other." "Kapok" expresses the love in his mind: independence, equality, and love until death.
"This is the great love/The steadfastness is here/Love——/Not only love your majestic body/I also love the position you insist on, the land under your feet", "Kapok" expresses the heart directly and boldly A declaration of love was made. The word "love" took root. She loved thoroughly and purely. She loved Oak. She loved not only the "majestic body" that everyone loved, but also his ideals and his perseverance. They complement each other, understand each other, and carry their love to the end.
Yes, this is the love that the poet longs for. At the beginning of the poem, the author also listed six kinds of images, resolutely stating several types of love that he denied.
1. "If I love you -/I will never be like a climbing flower/borrowing your high branches to show off myself." This kind of clinging love is what the author disdains the most. Showing off oneself with the help of brilliance that does not belong to oneself is nothing but a mirror image. A weak spirit cannot support a love to the end.
2. "If I love you -/I will never imitate the infatuated bird/Repeat a monotonous song for the green shade." This kind of infatuated love is humble and has no pursuit of its own. Just blindly chasing the direction of your lover's love, but ignoring your own value.
3. "It's not just like a spring that brings you cool comfort all year round, nor like a dangerous peak that increases your height and sets off your majesty." Such self-dedication is certainly touching, but for love It is also unequal. If you devote yourself blindly and lose yourself, and do not feel the support and feedback from the other party, you will feel tired one day.
4. "Even the sun/even the spring rain", the sun gives a warm bath, and the spring rain brings sweet moisture. Without these nutrients of life, the oak tree cannot survive. This kind of love can be understood as a devotional one, or it can be understood as a "strong woman" style of sovereignty. Although she is very capable and has a high status, love is not these abilities and status.
No matter which one of the above, in the eyes of the poet, it is not true love. True love should be two trees standing together as equals, standing very close but still being independent individuals, having oneself but being in love with each other. They should share the joys and sorrows and be honest with each other.
In a series of images, the author skillfully uses first- and second-person narration, instantly shortening the distance with readers. Strong emotions gush out, allowing people to shuttle between implicit and candid emotional experiences. In between, get the shock of beauty.
2. Distinctive function words
Appreciation of poetry is inseparable from the practice of refining words and appreciating words. The use of many function words in "To the Oak" seems to be light and insignificant, but in fact it is very important.
"Never like the clinging soaring flower" and "Never imitate the infatuated bird": The word "Jue" shows the firm attitude and the disdain for clinging and infatuated love.
"It's more than like a spring" and "It's more than like a dangerous peak." Although it is still negative, it is a little softer than the previous "absolute" attitude. "More than" means partial affirmation and partial denial, because the dedication of "fountains" and "dangerous peaks" has certain desirability. Love requires dedication, but it should be mutually supportive, not one-way.
"I must be a kapok tree near you": "Must" is an unquestionable tone, the result of careful consideration, and the decision and determination of my heart that will never change. promise. Once the "must" here is replaced by "willing", the impact of the poem will instantly drop by a notch.
"As if separated forever/but dependent on each other for life": "As if" represents a kind of uncertainty, which is like a dream, and "separation" is just an appearance, which is to give "but" potential. Even though we stand separately as independent individuals, our "roots/are clenched in the ground/and our leaves/are touching in the clouds", and our hearts are inseparable and closely connected.
3. Complementing emotions and rhythm
From a semantic point of view, the first half of the poem is actually six hypotheses, which can all be replaced by "If I love you - it will never be like xx,...", but the poet made exquisite settings to give it a changeable posture. At first, it was introduced with a long sentence, and then changed to "more than", slightly shorter, "even sunlight" and "even spring rain". The sentences became shorter and shorter, and the tone became more and more urgent, until the word "no" came, "pa" "It was thrown out at once, clean, powerful, and loud, "These are not enough." All the emotions accumulated before burst out, the momentum of the words reached the extreme, and the emotions rushed to the top.
Then began to use long sentences, "I must be a kapok tree near you/standing with you as the image of a tree." The atmosphere gradually relaxed and entered the soft description part, starting from "roots, Holding tight in the ground" to "But no one / understands our words", creating a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, where emotions flow quietly.
Until "You have your copper branches and iron trunks", the voice gradually rises, and the appearance of short sentences enhances the sense of power and gives people a sense of firmness. "We share the cold waves, wind and thunder, and thunderbolts/We enjoy the mist, the mist, the mist, and the rainbow" and "It seems like we are separated forever/But we are still dependent on each other for life." One is long and the other is short, and the rhythm is changeable and swaying. "This is the great love/The steadfastness is here", like a bell ringing in a mountain temple, the lingering sound lingers after the sincere cry.
"Love——", a dash, extending the tone, gradually coming to an end, "Not only do I love your majestic body/I also love the position you insist on, the land under your feet", the long sentence ends, gently and firm.
The whole poem is a combination of long and short sentences, which are naturally adjusted with the natural flow of emotions. At the same time, the change of rhythm also drives the emotions to pour out more fully and fullly. The two complement each other and create a richness together. realm of poetry.
I still remember when I watched "The Spring Breeze Is Not as Good as You", Zhou Dongyu's recitation was heartbreaking. From whispering carelessly at the beginning, to repeating it again and again, and roaring again and again, I felt like my heart was about to burst. This kind of repeated refrain can easily bring out the emotion and gradually sublimate it.