In ancient times, due to the vast territory and inconvenient transportation, we often could not meet each other for several years or even for life. Du Fu's poem "Friends are hard to meet, but as for the stars in the morning and evening" is a portrayal of this real life. Therefore, "parting" has become a heartbreaking and sad thing in life. Especially in turbulent times, turbulent journey, coupled with fleeting, friends leave, old friends meet again, how worthy of attachment and cherish!
Secondly, the attention paid by the literati in the Tang Dynasty to roaming also provided favorable objective conditions for farewell poems. Almost all famous poets in the Tang Dynasty have traveled long distances, such as Li Bai's "sword to serve the country and travel far away from relatives" when he was young; Du Fu also roamed wuyue and Qi in his early years. Other literati have similar experiences, and local officials also love literature. This kind of roaming is not only the "youth spirit" to broaden one's horizons and increase one's knowledge, but also has the positive significance of seeking recommendation and enhancing word of mouth.
In addition, because a large number of candidates are concentrated in Beijing, scholars are highly mobile whether they are involved or not. Go back and forth after the exam; Travel to counties without trying, and ask for recommendation. However, due to the limited number of places, only a few were admitted, and most of them were not in Chang 'an, so they traveled all over the country for a long time, resulting in a large number of farewell works in Tang poetry.
Thirdly, among the poets in the Tang Dynasty, there are many close friends who have deep friendship and are often compared, such as Wang Wei and Meng Haoran. Du Fu and Li Bai; Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan; Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen left many touching farewell poems for each other.
Based on the above reasons, although there are many reasons for Tang people's "parting", they are nothing more than the following:
When he was transferred, he paid attention to the Beijing officials in the Tang Dynasty and let them out. Even if his rank remains the same, he feels degraded. So there are many such farewell poems. In addition, there are some commonly used symbolic images in Farewell, such as willow, spring grass, sailing boat, wine and so on. . . . . . . Because, if such poems simply complain that they are too hurtful, they usually set off the atmosphere of parting through the description of the scenery, or express their feelings with the scenery; Or love in the scenery; Or a mixture of scenes ... Among them, the most popular masterpiece is Wang Wei's "Send Yuan 20 An", also known as "Cheng Wei Qu":
The rain in the early morning moistened the dust of the land, the inn of the inn, the branches and leaves of the inn, and a new leaf I advise you to have a glass of wine. There is no reason not to go out.
This poem clearly states the time and place of farewell. And its "willow" is a symbol of reluctance. As early as in the Book of Songs, there was a saying that "I was away, and the willows were happy". In the Han Dynasty, when seeing off at Baqiao Bridge in Chang 'an, it was often necessary to fold the willow to show off, in order to show that they wanted to be with their friends. So there is a poem "Spring breeze knows bitterness and doesn't send willow green". Wang Wei's works are full of beautiful scenes, so it is no wonder that it is about population. His other farewell in the mountains is also affectionate:
My friend, I have watched you go down the mountain and fly at sunset. The grass turns green again in spring, but what about you, my friend Prince? .
Ending: Will you come back next year when the spring grass is green again? This poem is based on the song of Chu Zhao's hermit: "The wandering prince and grandson don't return, and the spring grass grows flowers." Many writers in the Tang Dynasty often used "spring grass" as a symbol of parting, such as Bai Juyi's Farewell to Ancient Grass: "Ah, my friend's prince, you left again, and I heard them sigh after you. It won't burn, they grow taller in the spring breeze. " Li Yu's "Qing Ping Le" also said that "hate is like spring grass, you can go further and live better." They are all based on lush spring grass, indicating deep parting, don't hate. In addition, the poet in the early Tang Dynasty also wrote a masterpiece "Farewell to Du DuDu's appointment in Shu":
Across the wall of Sanqin, across a layer of fog, across a river. We said goodbye sadly, and our two officials went in opposite directions.
After all, the world is just a small place. Why are you wandering at the fork in the road? The child is holding a towel.
Wang Bo lived only 26 years old, but the rationality and wisdom expressed in this poem really exceeded his age. Think about it, how fascinating it is to leave, but he can get rid of the sadness of ordinary people when they say goodbye and comfort his friends by saying, "However, as long as China keeps our friendship, heaven will still be our neighbor". Don't be like that child with tears all over your face. He faced his parting with an open mind and fully demonstrated his sincere friendship with his friends.
Seclusion is one of the two great wishes of the Tang literati (the other is to marry a woman with five surnames). However, due to the lack of candidates in the imperial examination, there are many "lost passers-by" in reality (Chang Jian's poem "Falling into Chang 'an"), and this kind of farewell poem came into being at the right time. Such as Meng Haoran's Leaving Wang Wei:
What's the point of being alone, day after day, until now I have to leave? Old friend, how sweet the roadside flowers would be if they didn't mean goodbye.
The people who deal with affairs are not our kind, and the lords of the kingdom are very strict with us. Should only keep lonely, but also cover the door of old friends.
According to the Old Tang Book, Meng Haoran wrote this poem to Wang Wei before he left: "When you come to the capital at the age of forty, you should go back to Xiangyang if you are not a scholar." . Resentment, with bitter meaning, is sincere and moving. Imagine: who will pay attention to a loser and will only "go home empty-handed" and "how fragrant the flowers on the roadside may be" indicating that he will retire; However, "if they don't mean to see each other again, old friend" shows that his friendship with Wang Wei is profound and he can't bear to leave. He deeply realized that the world is cold, and only Wang Wei really understands and appreciates himself. He has too few intimate friends. Although his speech is almost plain, his words are simple and profound, with endless aftertaste.
Meng Haoran was the last one to come this time, and Li Bai also sent it home, the famous Yellow Crane Tower, and bid farewell to Meng Haoran on the way to Yangzhou:
An old friend said goodbye to the West Yellow Crane, and fireworks went down to Yangzhou in March.
My friend's sail shadow faded away and disappeared at the end of the blue sky, only seeing the first line of the Yangtze River and heading for the distant horizon.
In March in the south of the Yangtze River, bloom's flowers fell, and it was in this charming scenery that I saw the "sail" disappear bit by bit, showing a deep affection. Li Bai also has a poem "Farewell to Friends", which is also beautiful and affectionate:
Green mountains are located on the north side of the city wall, and the sparkling water surrounds the east of the city. Here we say goodbye to each other, and you, like losing your father, are floating in the wind and traveling far away.
Floating clouds are like wanderers, like wandering, and the sunset slowly goes down the mountain, which seems to be nostalgic. Waving to the hippopotamus chef, my horse brays again and again,
A?vagho?a with green hills, white water, floating clouds, sunset and rustling are all vividly written and quite poetic. Similarly, it is melancholy, and Meng's poems are heavy and abnormal; Li Bai's poems are as easy as lifting weights, which is probably the difference in their life forms!
Yu, a modern prose writer, said: "A real wanderer is reluctant to go home." Some people even said, "The poets in the Tang Dynasty were real wanderers." Indeed, the scholars in the Tang Dynasty were officials all their lives, but they often "fell from the sky in ten days", and this kind of laggard did not need spiritual support and encouragement when traveling far. How to comfort friends without hurting them will test the wisdom of poets.
Yanling comrades hanging swords, Guan Bao sharing gold, Fan Xing, and Zhang Shao's affection are all household stories. Similarly, in the literary world of the Tang Dynasty, the friendship of many poets is a precious page in the history of literature. Among them, the most talked about is the communication between Li Bai, Du Fu and Gao Shi. The three of them once traveled together, and Du Fu admired Li Bai and praised him as "invincible in white poetry, floating in the air, thinking of no group". At the same time, he persuaded Li Bai's good Ren Xia to make the wine still angry. To Li Bai:
Qiu Lai is very concerned about him, but he is not ashamed of Ge Hong for cinnabar.
Who is the hero who drinks crazy songs for nothing?
Later, Li Bai was demoted as a yelang, and Du Fu wrote many poems for Li's injustice. For example, the poem "No See" reads:
It's sad not to go to Li See to save wine and pretend to be crazy. Everyone wants to kill people, but I want to be alone. ...
Later, Li Bai's life and death were uncertain, and Du Fu wrote two sad "Li Bai's Dream":
When death is the reason for parting, people will cry, but life leaves again and again. Jiangnan is in ruins, and there is no interest in selling customers one by one.
I remembered each other until you appeared in my dream last night. ...
In addition, Gao Shi also wrote a poem to Du Fu, "Send Toure Addendum Every Day":
..... I have no memories in Nanfan, and I am full of worries. This year, everyone remembers the sky. Next year, everyone knows where it is.
Although life is hard, but also idle, it is impossible to know that at this time worthy of the sword book, always in the dust. That is to say, he is tired of his body, the official title of the governor, and the rest of the country, and he is ashamed of his wandering friends.
This is the most touching poem of Gao Shi in his later years. When Du Fu received this poem, he was actually "reading the end of the text with tears between the lines". His deep concern for his friend's situation is probably the most touching part of this poem!
Among the poets in the Tang Dynasty, the sufferings of Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi, as well as the works of many lovers who left lovesickness, are also touching. As Bai Juyi said at the end of Don't Yuan Jiu Hou Yonghuai:
Know each other better, but ask different questions. Put your heart and soul into it, and do nothing.
Soon, Bai Juyi was expelled from Chang 'an. When Yuan Zhen, who was in Tongzhou at that time, heard the bad news, he immediately wrote a song entitled "Hearing Lotte Grant Jiangzhou Sima":
The residual lamp has no flame shadow. I heard that you have fallen into Jiujiang this evening. Sitting up in a dying illness, the dark wind blew the rain into the cold window.
This poem contrasts the sadness of hearing that a friend was wronged and demoted with the coldness of the surrounding scenery, even from his illness. In addition, Yuan Zhen also wrote a poem "Happy in Heaven", which is more meaningful:
There were tears at the beginning of the letter, and the wife was surprised that the woman cried and asked why she was so unusual in the province. It should be Jiangzhou Sima Shu.
Yuan Zhen was so excited that he burst into tears when he received a letter from Bai Juyi from afar. The wife was very alarmed when she saw this situation, and her daughter began to cry. They asked what was going on together, because they had never seen him so abnormal. Later, they guessed the reason: it was a letter from a friend Bai Juyi who was far away in Jiangzhou! This is why he is so excited. Although this poem doesn't mention how deep Bai Yuan's friendship is, the whole family's reaction when they receive the letter is better than the positive description of their lovesick friendship.
Jiang Yan, a famous writer in the Southern Dynasties, wrote all kinds of farewells in Beppu, which inevitably made people "ecstatic". Many farewell poems in ancient times also mostly showed this kind of selflessness. But "Poetry should avoid vulgarity and familiarity" (A Brief Introduction to Liu Xizai's Art). Farewell poems in the Tang dynasty can jump out of the mold and wash away the sad and sour state; Moreover, the artistic conception is open, the tone is bright and clear, and the style is unique. This is probably the reason why Tang poetry is Tang poetry!