"Peacock Flying Southeast" is the first long narrative poem in the history of Chinese literature. Shen Guiyu called it "the first long poem in ancient and modern times", so it is also called the longest narrative poem in ancient Chinese history. , is one of the glorious poems in ancient Chinese folk literature. "The Peacock Flying Southeast" and "Mulan Ci" of the Southern and Northern Dynasties are also known as "the two treasures of Yuefu" and "the two treasures of narrative poetry". Later, "Peacock Flying Southeast", "Mulan Poems" and "Qin Women's Song" by Wei Zhuang of the Tang Dynasty were collectively called the "Three Wonders of Yuefu". They were based on what happened in Lujiang County (governing Shu County in the Eastern Han Dynasty) during the reign of Emperor Xian of the Eastern Han Dynasty. County, both in present-day Anhui Province), a marriage tragedy.
Central idea:
"The Peacock Flies Southeast" accuses the sins of feudal ethics, patriarchal rule and clan concepts through the love tragedy of Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing, and expresses The reasonable desire of young men and women to demand autonomy in marriage and love. The heroine Liu Lanzhi was loyal to love, and her uncompromising struggle against feudal forces and feudal ethics made her a rebellious woman image in the history of literature, and was praised by subsequent young men and women.
This narrative poem has more than 350 sentences and more than 1,700 words. It has a complete story, simple language, distinctive characters, compact and complete structure, and uses romantic techniques at the end. It is a masterpiece of Han Yuefu folk songs.
Main content:
Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing, who are smart, capable and ingenious, have a deep relationship, but their mother-in-law does not tolerate it and must drive them home. In this kind of conflict, Zhongqing hoped to alleviate the conflict, so he appealed in every possible way. However, the conflict was not relieved at all. Instead, his mother beat the bed and scolded her. Zhongqing had no choice but to let Lanzhi go home temporarily. When they said goodbye, the two made a promise not to betray each other. After Lanzhi returned home, her mother was shocked to see her daughter returning uninvited. After Lanzhi explained, she understood. However, soon after, the county magistrate and the prefect proposed marriage proposals to her son, but Lanzhi remained unmoved and rejected them one by one. However, in order to win over the rich and powerful, her brother pushed each other step by step, which further intensified the conflict. Lanzhi was forced to choose to marry, but she actually planned to fight to the death. Zhongqing heard the news and questioned Lanzhi. Lanzhi told the truth, made a promise, and agreed to meet each other in the underworld. On the night of the wedding, Lanzhi threw herself into the river. Zhongqing also hanged herself under a tree after hearing this. They fought to the death to push the conflict to the next level. After reaching the peak, the two families finally asked to be buried together. After the burial, they both turned into birds and warned the world.
Characters:
Jiao Zhongqing was born into an official family, and he worked as an official in the prefect's mansion. Although his rank was humble, he already had the reputation of being "upgraded" in the strict clan society. In terms of qualifications, he was a golden bird who grew up in a cage and developed a reserved and cowardly personality. He is a relatively kind-hearted and timid white-faced scholar.
Liu Lanzhi is well-educated and sensible. She is an independent woman who grew up in a well-off family. She is beautiful, smart, and capable. In her kindness and gentleness, there is an unconcealable and rebellious rigidity—— A primitive form of self-consciousness of the oppressed in the people's imagination.