Tao Yuanming was born in a declining gentry and landlord family, and experienced all kinds of ups and downs in his life. When he was two years old, his father died of illness; 12 years old, mother died of illness; At the age of 20, my family was penniless. It is this kind of suffering and poverty that has become the most fundamental reason for his entry into the WTO.
Tao Yuanming started his career at the age of 20. In the next 20 years, he became an official five times and resigned five times. Repeatedly, until he was in his forties, he saw through the officialdom and was tired of it. He decided not to be an official anymore and resolutely chose to resign and return to rural life.
He left countless poems for future generations in his life, and his pastoral spirit influenced countless future generations.
First, the emergence of Tao Yuanming's hermit thought
1. Family environment edification
When Tao Yuanming was born, the family conditions were not good, but before his father, his grandparents got along well. Tao Yuanming's great-grandfather Tao Kan was a great man in Jiangdong. Although Tao Kan is rich and powerful, he doesn't run amok. His life is pragmatic, and he has lofty ideals and ambitions. Tao Kan once said: "People's livelihood is diligence ... When you cherish the shade, how can you escape?" Tao Yuanming's thought of not admiring powerful people and pursuing nature stems from the influence of his ancestors.
2. The influence of the times on society and environment
Tao Yuanming was born in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. At that time, wars were frequent, social contradictions were sharp, political power was divided, and eunuchs were in power. Under such an environmental background, people born in poverty have almost no future. Tao Yuanming was disappointed by the darkness and corruption of officialdom. He didn't want to go with the flow and finally chose to resign and retire.
Second, Tao Yuanming's reclusive mentality
1. Live in seclusion and return to nature.
Tao Yuanming wrote in "Returning to the Garden" (I): "Without vulgar rhyme, I naturally love Qiushan ... After staying in a cage for a long time, I will return to nature." This poem was written after the poet resigned and retired. Dating back to the first year of Emperor Yi in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the poet went to Jiangxi as a county magistrate. Less than three months after taking office, the poet resigned from his office on the grounds that "five buckets of rice don't bend his back" and has been with the countryside ever since.
"Nature loves mountains" is Tao Yuanming's life feelings. He is tired of the fame and fortune struggle and intrigue in officialdom. Like many literati, Tao Yuanming chose to return to nature. Returning to the countryside with helplessness and regret for reality, Tao Yuanming's heart is full of joy, yearning and freedom.
In poetry, the poet described and constructed beautiful rural scenery for us with short and vivid words. Simple, natural and peaceful countryside and beautiful and harmonious natural scenery make people feel sorry and happy. I have been misled into the "dust net" for so many years, and now I finally "return to nature", let alone how happy I am. Eighty-nine huts with more than ten acres of land are the proud capital of farmers. Picking up hoes to open up wasteland for farming, planting fruit trees in front of and behind the house, watching the smoke from cooking in the village and listening to the dogs crowing in the village lane, there will be no more tedious things in life. In such a quiet place, it is free and happy to protect one side's pure land!
2. The pleasure and satisfaction of hard work
In ancient times, the status of farmers was not high, especially since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there was a saying that "it was shameful to be involved in agriculture". Tao Yuanming is a poet who is not ashamed of agriculture. On the contrary, he often goes into the fields and takes an active part in various labor activities. He thinks that labor is a happy thing. It can be said that his thoughts far exceed the ideology of ordinary literati.
In the poem "Looking Back at Tian She at the Beginning of Guimao Spring", the author expresses the freshness and joy of working in the field for the first time. Of course, working in the field is not only interesting, but also tiring, but on the whole, the poet thinks that work is beautiful.
Tao Yuanming vividly expressed the joy brought by labor in Peach Blossom Garden. People in Taohuayuan don't regard labor as suffering, because people are used to this kind of life and are good at finding happiness in labor, which is a kind of "enjoying themselves" mentality. The poet writes about the self-satisfaction of the working people, but actually expresses his love for his work.
3. Life is accompanied by embarrassment, loneliness and anxiety.
Speaking of Tao Yuanming, people define him more as "natural, peaceful and quiet". A large part of Tao Yuanming's poems are about rural scenery and nature. However, if you read these poems carefully, you will find that the poet is not only expressing his appreciation and love for nature and beautiful scenery, but also expressing his anxiety about life and life.
In the poet's eyes, the country is beautiful and the country life is beautiful, so he can always entertain himself and gain inner stability. However, when life is in trouble, various problems will follow. At this time, the joy of returning to rural life in the poet's heart gradually disappeared, and his heart began to be anxious.
Tao Yuanming wrote in Returning to the Garden (the fourth time): "The fire is burning again and again, moths are flying in the middle of the ridge ... hungry in summer and sleepless in cold nights." The poet used the words "fire" and "moth" to show us the desolation, depression and destruction brought by the war to the countryside. What a miserable situation it is to have no food during the day and no quilt cover on a cold night. In such a harsh environment, who can keep that dull and quiet heart as always?
Therefore, for Tao Yuanming, seclusion in the countryside is not only the pursuit of a better life, but also a hard experience. I'm afraid only the poet knows best about the ups and downs.
Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems show us an outstanding natural beauty and the true relationship between man and nature.
Experiencing life and feeling life in nature, the essence of Tao Yuanming's pastoral poetry is a monologue and cry to realize consciousness with nature and life. Through his poems, we can see the image of a poet who is not greedy for wealth. He lives a different life with an open-minded and detached mind.
refer to
Yang Yuxuan. Zitao