"I can't get tired of changing articles" means the importance of revision to writing. The so-called "revision of good articles" is suspected of being absolute, but it is advisable to emphasize serious revision. The ancients attached great importance to the revision of articles. Lu Benzhong, a poet in the Song Dynasty, once said, "Words often change, but sometimes they appear." Li Yi, a poet in A Qing, once used metaphor to express this idea: "If we can correct it, the defects can be compared, but the rubble can." People used to say that' writing poetry is like eating walnuts and chestnuts, and peeling three layers of skin will have a taste'. If you don't change, you will eat prickly chestnuts and green walnuts. "A great craftsman won't show people anything, and a truly responsible author won't show readers his own' blank'. Then, how did the ancients modify the article, and is there any reasonable composition for modern people to learn from? Generally speaking, there are three ways for the ancients to change poems to decorate articles.
1. shelving method, in today's words, is cold treatment method. Hu Zai, a poet in the Song Dynasty, quoted Tang Zixi as saying that after the article was written, "Gu Lizhi, if you read it tomorrow, you must make corrections repeatedly, which is slightly heavier than before; Take it out for a few days, and the defect is back. I dare to show it if I count four. " This was shelved after the manuscript was written and revised repeatedly in the next few days. There is a similar statement in Tang Biao's Reading Composition Spectrum in Qing Dynasty: "When he just (just) did it, he couldn't see the defects himself, but it would take him several months to know. If I had known, I wouldn't have written it. So, I could see it then. If I change, I will change. Otherwise, I will put it away. If I take it out in a few months, I will know the ugliness in my heart and will change. " Tang Biao thought that the defects of the article at that time were not easy to find, because if it had been found at that time, it would not have been written like that. This view accords with the psychological reality of writing. When the author just finished writing, his mind was still in the "state" of the manuscript, and it was "difficult to extricate himself", so it was not easy to find out the fault of the article, which was the so-called fascination of the authorities. After shelving for a period of time, you can check the manuscript as a "reader" and change from an authority to a temporary "bystander". In addition, during the shelving period, the author may have a new understanding and experience of the article itself or other related situations. At this time, the correction attitude will be more objective and the foothold will be higher. It is said that the first sentence of the famous "Zuiwengting Ji", "Everywhere I go is a mountain", is a typical example of concise writing and the result of Ouyang Xiu's cold treatment.
2. Du Fu, a sage reciting legal poems, once said that he "changed his new poem into Long song", and Long song means reading aloud. Poetry or prose is always read while writing. Therefore, after writing a poem, ordinary people always recite it vividly and cadently, so that they can not only realize their own thoughts and feelings, but also find problems in grammar and other aspects in time. Generally speaking, reading aloud is better than reading silently. He of A Qing Dynasty attached great importance to reading aloud. In On Poems with Wang Jushi, he said, "You can't read without reason, anger, ruthlessness, words, intentions and confusion." There is an example that is often mentioned about the revision of recitation. Ouyang Xiu wrote "Xiang Zhou Zhou Tang Jin Ji" for Han Qi. In the first draft, there is "official to prime minister, rich to hometown"; Later, Ouyang Xiu sent a second draft, and Han Qi made a careful comparison. He saw that only the word "and" was added, and he became an "official who came to his hometown with wealth." At first glance, it doesn't make any difference, but when he backs it, it tastes very different. There is no word "and" in the manuscript, which seems to be too urgent, as if there is a feeling of lack of confidence. With these two words "harmony", the rhythm slows down, and it is depressing and powerful to read, which can better express Han Qi's complacent mentality of "returning home with clothes on", and the full text is colored by it.
3. How to ask for help Li Yi said in "Poetry in the Autumn Star Pavilion": "Poetry can be changed, but it is still awkward. But I'm afraid I can't know my illness, so I have to ask my teachers and friends for help. Make-up must be kind to Kagami Akira and you can't see it yourself. " The last sentence is a wonderful metaphor, which means that a person looks in the mirror with makeup because he can't see the dust and flaws on his face. Therefore, Li Yi believes that it is of course best that his poems can be revised by himself. But in general, you are not easy to find faults, so use a mirror. The mirror here is actually a metaphor for teachers and friends who help them revise their articles. Xue Xue also has a similar proposition in A Spoon of Poetry: "If you get rid of your works, please consult your friends and friends. I thought too late and lost it at the checkpoint, so I tampered with it and made it into a wall. " The ancients not only put forward these beneficial ideas, but also some of them can actually do it. Ouyang Xiu was already an important official in the imperial court when he wrote "Fairy Mountain Pavilion", but he was not ashamed to ask questions and humbly asked his subordinate Zhang Zihou for advice. After Zhang Yue's draft, he pointed out that the sentence "Yuan contributes two stones, a set of Zishan Mountain and a set of Hanshui River" has poor syllables and momentum, so he changed the last two sentences to "a set of ZiShan Ye and a set of Hanshui River", which not only has harmonious syllables, but also has a sharp contrast between "Shang" and "Zhiyuan" and gives people a deeper impression. For example, Fan Zhongyan wrote "Mr. Yan Ancestral Temple", and asked my friend Li Gou to correct me after the draft was completed. Li immediately pointed out at the end of the draft that the word "Germany" was not used properly in the part of "Yunshan is gray, the rivers and seas are vast, the teachers are highly respected and the mountains are high". The meanings of "Cang Cang" and "Great" in the last article are broad. In contrast, the word "de" is too solid and rigid, which is not in line with "high mountains and high waters". It is suggested to change it to "phoenix". Fan Xinran accepted. It is true that "the wind of a gentleman, the mountains are high and the water is long" gives people a much more elegant and far-reaching feeling. As for many anecdotes about the legendary "one-character teacher" and "half-character teacher" in ancient times, I won't repeat them because of the limited space.
I can't remember who was a great writer in ancient times. In his later years, he still worked tirelessly to revise early articles. His wife advised him not to suffer, saying that at your age, you are still afraid of being scolded by the teacher? Da Wenhao replied: "I am not afraid of my husband's anger, but I am afraid of laughing later." This attitude of being responsible for future generations is worth learning today.