Couplets, also known as couplets, are commonly known as pairs. It is a dual sentence written on paper, cloth or carved on bamboo, wood, or pillars. Simple words and profound meanings, neat contrasts, and harmonious oblique and oblique expressions are a unique art form of the Chinese language that uses one word for one sound. According to legend, the couplet originated from Meng Chang, the lord of Shu after the Five Dynasties. It is a cultural treasure of the Chinese nation. The couplets hung during the Spring Festival are called Spring Festival couplets.
Couplets are the literature of confrontation. This parallel symmetry of language and characters is consistent with the so-called "Tai Chi generates two things" in philosophy. That is to say, everything in the world is divided into two symmetrical halves of Yin and Yang, which are very similar in nature of thinking. Therefore, we can say that the philosophical origin and deep national cultural psychology of Chinese couplets are the dual concept of yin and yang. The dualism of yin and yang is the basis of the ancient Chinese worldview. To grasp things with the dualistic concept of yin and yang is the way of thinking of the ancient Chinese. This idea of ??the duality of yin and yang has a far-reaching origin. The hexagram symbols in the "Book of Changes" are composed of two lines of yin and yang. The "Book of Changes" states: "One yin and one yang are called Tao. "Laozi also said: "All things carry yin and hold yang, and the qi is in harmony." "On Rites") "Huang Lao Silk Book" states: "The way of heaven and earth consists of left and right, yin and yang." This concept of yin and yang is not only an abstract concept, but also widely infiltrated into the ancient Chinese people's understanding of the world. In the understanding and explanation of everything in nature and human society. "Book of Changes Xu Gua Zhuan" "There is heaven and earth, then there are all things, there are all things, then there are men and women, there are men and women, then there are couples, there are couples, then there are fathers and sons, there are fathers and sons, then there are monarchs and ministers, there are monarchs and ministers, then there are up and down, there are up and down, then there are rituals, there are At a loss." In "Yi Zhuan", various specific objects are used to symbolize the two Yao of Yin and Yang. Yin represents Kun, earth, woman, woman, son, minister, abdomen, lower body, north, wind, water, luster, flower, black and white, suppleness, etc. Correspondingly, Yang represents Qian, heaven, man, husband, and father. , king, head, upper, south, thunder, fire, mountain, fruit, red and yellow, vigorous, etc. This ubiquitous concept of yin and yang has penetrated deeply into the subconscious of the Han nation, thus becoming a national collective unconscious. One of the important characteristics of the concept of yin and yang in national psychology is the persistence and fascination with things that appear in the form of "two" and "pair". The format of the couplets is strict, with large and small parts of speech corresponding to each other. Traditional couplets have similar forms, connected contents, coordinated tones, and rigorous contrasts.
The horizontal batch of couplets
The horizontal batch refers to the banner (horizontal drapery, banner) that is hung on top of a couplet. It is generally only used for a small number of couplets where this is necessary. The so-called "horizontal" refers to the writing method of horizontal writing; "patch" contains the meaning of revealing and commenting, and refers to the role of supplementing, summarizing and improving the theme content of the entire couplet. Therefore, the horizontal batch should be related to the theme content, should be particularly concise (in practice, four characters are often used as a grid), and the alternation of oblique and oblique should also be considered. Such as: "A happy marriage", "A beautiful flower and a full moon", "A match made in heaven", etc. are some commonly used horizontal comments in wedding couplets. The words and content of the horizontal batch should also avoid simple repetition with the upper and lower couplets. In short, horizontal batches should play the role of the finishing touch and should not be superfluous.
Punctuation of couplets
Punctuation marks should be used for couplets in the modern Chinese environment. As for combining it with the art of calligraphy, that's another matter. All couplets are composed of two sets of couplets with related meanings in the upper and lower lines. This special literary form determines that the punctuation of the couplets has its own characteristics, and also determines that this characteristic is concentrated in the punctuation marks at the end of the first couplet. As for the punctuation marks at the end of the first couplet, generally speaking, a comma is used for a single sentence; a semicolon is used for a multi-clause couplet; in some multi-clause couplets, a semicolon is used in the couplet, and a period is used at the end of the couplet; as for some special expressions To punctuate the tone, you should undoubtedly use question marks or exclamation marks. In short, it should be based on the specific circumstances of the alliance. However, despite the above theory, in practice, there is a conventional couplet punctuation method that is a simpler choice, that is: punctuation is still used in the upper and lower couplets, and no punctuation is used at the end of the upper and lower couplets. In addition, in order to maintain the formal consistency of the upper and lower couplets, punctuation marks such as brackets, quotation marks, ellipses, dashes, and book title numbers are generally not used in the couplets.
The writing format of couplets
The writing format of couplets (upper and lower couplets) can be written horizontally or vertically. In practice, it is usually written vertically. When writing vertically, if it is divided into several lines, it should be noted that the upper line should be written from right to left, and the second line should be written from left to right. The upper end should be even, and the innermost row (i.e. the last row) at the lower end should be shorter.
The whole couplet becomes the traditional Chinese character "door". As for whether the writing method of horizontal batches is from the left or from the right, this needs to be further standardized and clarified. According to tradition, when matching with vertically written upper and lower couplets, they should start from the right; but since the horizontal format of modern Chinese is from the left, some people now use it from the left.
Posting format of couplets
When posting, hanging, and carving couplets, you should also pay attention to: the upper couplet is on the right and the second couplet is on the left. This format cannot be changed arbitrarily.