"(child) tastes independence, and carp often appear in court. Say,' How about learning poetry?' Yes:' Not yet.' Is:' If you don't learn poetry, you have nothing to say. Carp retired to learn poetry. One day, I will be independent again. Carp rushed across the court. Say,' How about learning manners?' Yes:' Not yet.' Right:' If you don't learn manners, you can't stand.' Carp dropped out of etiquette. "
Translation:
Chen Kang asked Apollo, "Have you heard any special teaching from the teacher?" "No," Apollo replied. Once he was standing alone in the class, and I walked quickly through the court. He said, "Have you ever studied poetry?" I answered' no', and he said,' If you don't learn poetry, you won't be able to speak. I went back to study poetry. Another day, he was standing alone in the class, and I walked quickly across the court. He said, "Have you learned the ceremony?" I replied,'No.' He said,' If you don't learn manners, you won't know how to stand up.' I went back to learn manners. I've only heard these two things. Chen Kang went back and said happily, "I asked a question and got three gains. I listened to the truth of poetry, the truth of ceremony, and the truth that a gentleman does not favor his son. "
2.
Confucius said to his son Apollo, "If you don't learn poetry, you have nothing to say".
Confucius said to his students, "why doesn't this boy learn poetry?" Poetry can be aroused, observed, grouped and resented. Your father is far away, and you know the names of birds, animals and plants better. " (The Analects of Confucius)
Thus, the role of poetry can be described as many! Confucius' emphasis on poetry teaching is not unreasonable and worth learning from.
Remarks: The poem mentioned by Confucius is China's earliest collection of poems, The Book of Songs. When Confucius compiled the Six Classics, he set the number of poems in The Book of Songs at about 300.
The Book of Songs is the source of later poetry.