How to Evaluate Huang Tingjian's Poetic Thought

Huang Tingjian regards "vulgarity" as the high standard of his poetry, and to reach this level, he emphasizes reading more. Only when you have thousands of books in your heart can you write without vulgarity. Huang Tingjian emphasizes reading more books, not learning for the sake of learning. There are three main meanings: First, study hard, extensively absorb all the good things of predecessors, and create and develop them on the basis of mastery. Second, as a kind of accumulation of knowledge, to increase the connotation and implication of poetry, and strive to be refined. The third lies in the cultivation of subjective accomplishment and temperament. Only by cultivating a refined and unique temperament based on the basic spirit of Confucianism, which is "good", can we write a "refined" poem. One of Huang Tingjian's most famous poetic ideas, "turning a stone into gold", is actually related to his subjective cultivation. He said in Answer to the Father of Hong Ju: "Those who can write in ancient times can really cultivate everything. Although ancient characters enter calligraphy, they are like a panacea. " This passage is often considered to refer to plagiarism, so it advocates plagiarism. Huang Tingjian actually borrowed Taoist terms, using iron as the material of poetry, gold as the finished product of enlightenment, and magic as the poet's subjective thought and spiritual accomplishment, so what he means is that an excellent poet is good at using foreign things for his own use, and the key lies in the poet's subjective thought and artistic accomplishment as the basis for controlling everything. With this foundation, even if the ancients made a statement, they can change the old into the new. Therefore, although Huang Tingjian has the idea of taking the old as the new, the focus is on the poet's subjective ideological accomplishment and artistic accomplishment.

In the process of choosing the tradition of poetry, Du Fu's poetry, as a model of morality and poetry art since the Qing Dynasty in the Northern Song Dynasty, was highly praised by Wang Anshi and Su Shi, and was further respected at this time. Huang Tingjian once said: "Although Lao Du was displaced from place to place, he never left the DPRK for a day, so he was good at current affairs and profound in every sentence, which was beyond the reach of ancient authors. The spirit of loyalty is natural. " "Loyalty" and "being good at telling current events" point out Du Fu's Confucian moral pursuit and the realistic spirit of poetry, and it can also be seen that Huang Tingjian's poems are not indifferent to reality. In fact, many of his early poems are full of realistic concern and critical spirit. With the increasing number of literary inquisitions, Huang Tingjian's concept of poetry has changed, and he advocates that poetry should chant emotion, but "it is also necessary to argue in court without remonstrating, to blame Tao, and to scold the seats by angering neighbors." This poetic attitude against the reality thorn was generally accepted by Jiangxi poets in the increasingly severe situation in the late Northern Song Dynasty. The evaluation of "profound syntax" reflects Huang Tingjian's obedience to the art of Du Fu's poetry. He has made many detailed analyses on Du Fu's artistic characteristics in refining words, making sentences and writing, as well as the artistic realm of Du Fu's poetry. In these analyses, we can often see his own aesthetic pursuit and the spirit of the times in the Song Dynasty. For example, his comments on Du Fu's poems, such as "There is no word to find" and "Pingchuan Mountain and Deep Water", actually reflect his own characteristics of attaching importance to reading, advocating innovation, pursuing insipid and profound aesthetic realm.

Huang Tingjian, with his distinctive poetic concept and outstanding poetic achievements, reflected the aesthetic style of Song poetry and attracted the attention of the poetic circles. Moreover, he provided specific creative paths for later poets, so that they had poetic methods to follow. Therefore, Huang Tingjian won the support of many poets. Chen Shidao burned his old works and transferred them to Huangshi. His creative achievements made him soon become the core of this poetry school together with Huang Tingjian.