A proud plum has no two sides.
-Written by Zheng Xie
Note Zheng Xie (1693- 1765): Banqiao No.1, a native of Xinghua, Jiangsu. When I was a child, my family was poor, but I was eager to learn and wild. In the first year of Qianlong, Jinshi was a magistrate in Fanxian County and Weixian County, Shandong Province. Later, because the peasants asked for relief, they offended the rich officials, and they were dismissed because of illness, and they lived in Yangzhou with poems and paintings. Banqiao's poems, books and paintings are all accomplished, and it is called "Three Wonders" and one of the "Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou". Banqiao is good at writing Lanzhu and painting with cursive script, which develops China traditional ink and Cynthia painting to a new stage. Today, the complete works of Banqiao and various paintings and calligraphy works have been handed down from generation to generation.
A remarkable feature of appreciating this couplet is the use of symbolism. "Symbol" is not only an artistic technique to mark or imply some intangible meaning with some perceptual or imaginary images, but also a way to connect literary and artistic works with the appreciators. The establishment of symbolic connection is based on the consistency of structural characteristics, not the complete consistency of quality. For example, pine trees and lofty sentiments, bamboo and upright personality have different characteristics, but the majestic image of pine trees and lofty sentiments are similar. The tall and straight shape of bamboo corresponds to the integrity of personality in structural characteristics, so people often use pine trees to symbolize lofty sentiments and bamboo to symbolize upright personality. Therefore, symbols are a heterogeneous and isomorphic contact way. In literary and artistic works, the ancients used symbolism to personify things to the maximum extent, or praised or belittled them, such as praising bamboo as modesty, praising plum as pride, and praising orchid as gentleman's style.
Zheng Banqiao loved and respected bamboo all his life. Painting to write bamboo, poetry to chant bamboo. Zheng Banqiao is wild and uninhibited, so he often sings and draws bamboo to encourage others and himself. Such as "Ya Zhai Lie Listening to Xiao", doubt is the voice of the people's sufferings. Some small officials in Caozhou County always care about their feelings. "("Wei County Department painted bamboo, and Bao Bo became a big one year ")" I insist that the green hills are not relaxed, and the roots are broken. A thousand blows are still strong, and the wind is east, west, north and south. " Plum, orchid, bamboo and pine are often the themes of poets and painters' works. Of course, Zheng Banqiao's works are more. The above couplets also reflect the consistent style of poetry, calligraphy and painting, and also reflect Zheng's personality.
The first couplet chants bamboo. Bamboo is hollow and knobby, and leaves grow downward in pairs, like a "lattice", so it is said to be "humble" and "humble", which not only describes the external natural state of bamboo, but also refers to the internal spiritual morality of people, and the two are heterogeneous and have the same structure; The next step is praise. Mei, who is not afraid of first frost, is proud of the snow, so Mei has pride. Moreover, plum has another feature: all its flowers are facing up on the sunny side of the branches, and other flowers are not necessarily facing down (for example, peach blossoms have flowers facing down, so they are dismissed as "thin"). Therefore, "no two sides", this image feature of Mei is heterogeneous and isomorphic with the upright personality that people praise and do not bow to evil forces. Although couplets praise bamboo and plum, they are actually a portrayal of people and themselves. The first part talks about the spirit of learning, and the second part talks about the character of being a man. Zheng Banqiao is an academic master of poetry, books and paintings, and he is proud of his frankness. Didn't later generations see the spirit of bamboo and the style of plum in him?