[Historical Secrets Historical Secrets] Introduction: Cao Cao was an outstanding writer in the late Han Dynasty and the founder of a new situation in Jian'an literature. Reading through Cao Cao's poems, you can realize that they contain rich ideological connotations and unique artistic style.
Cao Cao's Poems
Cao Cao had profound accomplishments in literature, calligraphy, music, etc. His literary achievements are mainly reflected in poetry, and his prose is also very distinctive.
There are more than 20 of Cao Cao's poems in existence today, all of which are in Yuefu style. Content can generally be divided into three categories. One type is related to current affairs, the other type is mainly about expressing ideals, and the other type is poems about immortals.
Works that are somewhat related to current affairs include "A Walk on the Dew", "A Walk on the Haoli", "A Walk on the Bitter Cold", "A Walk Out of the Summer Gate", etc. The two poems "Xing Dew Xing" and "Hao Li Xing" were written in the early years of Jian'an. The former article reflects that He Jin's plan to kill the eunuchs failed, and Dong Zhuo went to Luoyang to cause rebellion; the latter article describes that the states and counties in Guandong raised troops to fight against Zhuo, and each had their own ambitions to kill each other. The contents are closely connected. The poem describes this historical process in a highly summary manner in concise language, so it is known as "a true record of the late Han Dynasty and a true history of poetry" (Zhong Xing's "Return of Ancient Poems"). What is particularly valuable is that in the poem "Hao Li Xing", he used a sympathetic tone to describe the deep suffering suffered by the vast number of people during the war: "The armor is infested with lice, and thousands of people die, and the bones are exposed in the wild, thousands of miles away. "The rooster crows, leaving hundreds of people alive, and the thought of it breaks people's hearts." "Bitter Cold Journey" was written in the 11th year of Jian'an. The poem describes the severe cold, desolation, and precipitousness of the Taihang Mountains in winter. It is vivid and vivid, and it also expresses the poet's inner feelings. Mixed feelings. "Stepping out of Xiamen" was written in the twelfth year of Jian'an when he was conquering Wuhuan in three counties. The poem includes "Yan" (prelude) and four interpretations. "Yan" focuses on the poet's complicated mood when he went to war. The first interpretation is "Guan Canghai", which describes the impressions when the army passed through Jieshi; the second interpretation is "Winter October", the third interpretation is "Different Soils", which is about what they saw on the way back; the fourth interpretation is "The turtle is long-lived", which is about winning this important battle. Thoughts after victory. Among them, "Guan Cang Sea" describes the scene of the sea, "The autumn wind is bleak, the waves are surging, the sun and the moon are as if they are out of it; the stars are brilliant as if they are out of it", the majestic momentum and majestic style reflect the poet's tolerance of the universe and his words. The broad mind of Sun and Moon. "The Turtle Lives Longevity" uses a series of vivid metaphors to express the poet's views on life and career: "The old man is helpless, but his ambition is a thousand miles, and the martyr is still ambitious in his old age." This is a true expression of the poet's lifelong positive and enterprising spirit.
Cao Cao's poems that mainly express his ideals include "Duguan Mountain", "During Wine", "Dan Ge Xing", etc. The first two articles deal with political ideals. The peaceful and prosperous age he envisioned was a politics of virtuous kings and good ministers that combined Confucianism and Legalism and used both grace and authority. This is undoubtedly of progressive significance in the context of the great social destruction in the late Han Dynasty. The theme of "Dan Ge Xing" is seeking talents. It uses poems such as "The mountains never get too high, the sea never gets too deep, the Duke of Zhou spits out food, and the world returns to its heart." It expresses the desire for talents and the desire to recruit talents in order to achieve great achievements.
In terms of artistic style, Cao Cao's poems are simple and unadorned, without any decoration. They win with deep emotions and majestic charm. The mood of the poem is characterized by generosity and sadness. Generous and sad, this is originally the common theme of Jian'an literature, but in Cao Cao's poetry, it is the most typical and prominent. In terms of poetry genre, Cao Cao's Yuefu poems did not copy the conventions of Han Yuefu, but developed somewhat. For example, "Xing Dew Xing" and "Hao Li Xing" are both elegy in Han Yuefu, but he used old titles to express brand-new content. Cao Cao initiated the tradition of using Yuefu to write about current affairs, which had a profound influence. The large number of Yuefu poems written by Jian'an writers and many poets from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty can be said to be the inheritance and development of this tradition.
Now that we know the characteristics of Cao Cao’s poetry, let’s appreciate Cao Cao’s representative work "Hao Li Xing".
"Hao Li Xing"
There are righteous men in Guandong who raise troops to fight against the evil.
In the early days of Huimengjin, his heart was in Xianyang.
The army was weak and hesitant.
Snobbishness makes people fight, and the heirs fight against each other.
The title of Huainan brother is carved in the north.
The armor is infested with lice, and thousands of people die from it.
White bones are exposed in the wild, and there is no rooster crow for thousands of miles.
One of the hundreds of things left by the people will be heart-breaking if you think about it.
This poem describes the generals of the counties in Guandong. They publicly recommended Yuan Shao, the powerful governor of Bohai, as the leader of the alliance. They prepared to raise troops to attack those who burned palaces, destroyed temples, kidnapped Emperor Xian, moved the capital to Chang'an, were dissolute and shameless, and harmed the country and the people. Dong Zhuo. The generals from all sides hope to unite as one, follow the example of Zhou Wugong, join forces in Mengjin, punish the people and punish crimes, single-mindedly eradicate evil, be loyal to state affairs, and support the Han Dynasty. The situation is great. However, this good situation was ruined by careerists such as Yuan Shao. At that time, although the various counties gathered large armies, they looked at each other, hesitated to move forward, and even had their own agendas. In order to compete for hegemony and seek personal gain, they even started killing each other. If the admonishment fails, then the punishment will be added. The poet ruthlessly exposed the Yuan Shao brothers' conspiracy to proclaim themselves emperor, cast seals and seals, and use the pretense of subjugating Dong Zhuo to fight for hegemony and isolation, and severely criticized the war caused by this. The end of the poem depicts the desolate and tragic picture caused by the war. Years of war, the soldiers were unable to disarm and return to their fields, and the people died tragically, less than one in a hundred, which made the rich north become emaciated and mournful. There were bones everywhere, and the sound of roosters could not be heard for thousands of miles. Faced with this tragic scene, the poet issued a cry of "heart-breaking thoughts".
"Hao Li Xing" used the form of folk songs to carry out criticism, which was a pioneering work at the time. This poem not only expressed the great sorrow and indignation of the people who were in dire straits due to the war. and sympathy, and ruthlessly exposed and criticized the culprits who caused the people's suffering. It is a true record of the late Han Dynasty and an epic poem.
The whole poem is simple in style, melancholy and solemn, reflecting Cao Cao’s heroic spirit and sense of urgency as a politician and military strategist. The poem combines allusions, examples, and descriptions, which is both concrete and connotative. Profound is Cao Cao's more successful work. By reading Cao Cao's poems, readers can not only understand the historical facts at that time, but also appreciate Cao Cao's unique writing style as a poet.