The famous poets of the Yuanhe period (including Bai Juyi, Yuan Zhen, and Han Yu) all had the painful experience of being demoted. Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan had more setbacks and it was difficult to let go. The sorrow, anger and loneliness when their lives sank. This is particularly clear in their poetry creation, and has become a sad and cold landscape of relegated literature in the Tang Dynasty.
Liu Yuxi (772-842), whose courtesy name was Mengde, was originally from Luoyang, Henan Province, but he was born in Jiaxing, Suzhou (now Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province), where he spent his teenage years. When he was about nineteen years old, he went to Chang'an to study. In the ninth year of Zhenyuan (793), he and Liu Zongyuan were admitted to the same imperial examination. In the same year, he was admitted to the Bo Xue Hong Ci Department. Two years later, he was admitted to the Ministry of Civil Affairs to obtain a scholar degree and was awarded the title of Crown Prince. School book. In the first year of Yongzhen (805), he and Liu Zongyuan participated in the Wang Shuwen Group's Yongzhen innovation and adopted many progressive reform measures in just a few months. But soon the reform failed, Wang Shuwen was sentenced to death, Wang Min died of illness after being demoted, and eight people including Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan were demoted to Yuanzhou governor. This is the famous "Two Kings and Eight Sima Incident" in history. Liu Yuxi was demoted to Langzhou (today's Changde City, Hunan) for nearly ten years. It was not until the ninth year of Yuanhe (814) that he, Liu Zongyuan and others were ordered to return to the capital; but soon he was sent to Bozhou, which was further away from Chang'an. He went to be the governor of Lianzhou (now Lian County, Guangdong). He served as governor in Lianzhou, Kuizhou, Hezhou and other places for more than ten years. In the second year of Zhibaoli (826), he was transferred back to Luoyang and served in Shangshu Province of the Eastern Capital. After that, he successively served as bachelor of Jixian Palace, doctor of the Ministry of Rites, governor of Suzhou, governor of Ruzhou, and governor of Tongzhou. Finally, he was divided into Dongdu as the prince guest and was known as Liu guest.
Liu Yuxi was not only a writer, but also a thinker and politician. He and Bai Juyi were called Liu and Bai at the time. In fact, his poems were unique. There are more than 700 of his poems in existence today, which can be roughly divided into allegorical poems, sentimental poems, epic poems and folk songs. He makes good use of allusions and facts in his poems without being stagnant, with rich words and fluent writing. He creates a bright and distant environment with a refreshing wind and spirit. He also has a kind of magnanimity and heroic strength. For example, "Jiuhua Folk Song":
The first sight of the strange peak is frightening, and a flood of imagination begins to open up. It is suspected that Jiulong Yao was trying to reach the sky, but suddenly he heard a thunderbolt and turned into stone. Otherwise, how could it be so far, for hundreds of millions of years, that its momentum is as immortal as a soaring mountain?
It has a unique and profound charm when reading it, which won Bai Juyi the praise of "Poetry Hero" at that time.
However, Liu Yuxi spent most of his life in relegation. Most of his allegorical poems were written during the period when he was demoted to Langzhou, and they were works to criticize the current ills. For example, "Hun Jing Ci" satirizes the rulers for concealing illnesses and avoiding medical treatment, and "Flying Yuan Cao" exposes the corpses of conservative ministers. His "Gathering Mosquito Ballads" says: "On a deep summer night, the orchid hall is open, and the flying mosquitoes are waiting for me. The sound is like thunder. The noise is shocking at first, as if it comes from Nanshan. It is so loud and exciting that it is dark, and the ignorant will not distinguish and the listener will be confused." The dewdrops are dripping in the sky, and the sharp mouth cannot catch people. My seven-foot body is like a awn, and I am so alone that I can be hurt. I am born to be unstoppable, so I set up a bed for you. When the Qing Dynasty dawns, I feel ashamed. "Er's Micro-shaped Bird Feeding Dan" adopts the bixing system of "The Book of Songs" in writing, and uses "groups of mosquitoes" to satirize the counter-reform forces in the DPRK. The purpose of the poem is obscure and profound.
Liu Yuxi's sentimental poems are obviously influenced by Ruan Ji's poems about his feelings, which are profound and upright. He said in Part 2 of "Three Poems on the Study of Ruan Gong's Style": "The new wind saddens the old man, and the autumn frost stirs up the birds of prey. There is a long way to go, and there are many layers of clouds in the plains. It destroys and disappears, and rushes to the end, and the wind blows through the forest. Don't let the sense of the festival weaken you. "An Neng can stimulate the heart." It means that you will not be discouraged when encountering setbacks. His famous "Rewarding Lotte Seeing Gifts at the First Banquet in Yangzhou" says:
The desolate land of Chushui in Bashan has been abandoned for twenty-three years. Nostalgic, I recite the flute poems in the air, and when I go to the countryside to read them, I feel like a dead person. Thousands of sails pass by the side of the sunken boat, and thousands of trees spring in front of the diseased trees. Today I will listen to a song of Junge, and for now I will have a glass of wine to keep my spirits up.
Even though he was demoted and exiled many times, he never surrendered and remained full of confidence. He was good at transforming the low and sad sounds into impassioned rhymes, and he had a strong character. This is very rare. He said in "Nine Poems on Langtaosha":
No slanderous words are as deep as the waves, and no words are as deep as the sand when moving away. Although it is hard work to search for thousands of pounds, you will only get gold after blowing all the sand.
Also "Visiting Xuandu Again to View Quatrains":
Half of the hundred-acre courtyard is covered with moss, and all the peach blossoms are covered with cauliflowers. Where did the peach-growing Taoist go? Liu Lang came to visit him before.
Also permeated with an indomitable spirit.
Most of Liu Yuxi's epic poems are nostalgic works about visiting historical sites, usually in the form of five or seven words. He said in "Jinling Nostalgia": "The rise and fall are determined by personnel, and the mountains, rivers, and terrain are empty." Through the description of the monuments and scenery related to the historical events of the previous dynasties, he expresses the feeling of rise and fall through the ages, containing incisive arguments and insights. For example, "Nostalgia for the Ancients in Xisai Mountain":
When the boat went down to Yizhou in the Western Jin Dynasty, the king of Jinling lost his spirit sadly. Qianxun's iron chain sank to the bottom of the river, and a flag fell out of the stone. Several times in this life, the past has been forgotten, but Yamagata is still pillowed in the cold current. Today is the day when the world is home, so the forts are rustling and the reeds are blooming in autumn.
In the scenery that embodies nostalgic thoughts, a realistic sense of worry is integrated, which can enable people to gain ideological enlightenment when appreciating the poem. This is particularly outstanding in a group of seven masterpieces named "Five Questions of Jinling", such as "Stone City":
The mountains surround the homeland, and the tide beats the empty city and returns lonely. In the old days on the east side of the Huai River, the moon came over the female wall late at night.
"Woyi Alley":
There are wild grasses and flowers beside Zhuque Bridge, and the setting sun is setting at the entrance of Wuyi Alley. In the old days, the swallows in front of Wang Xietang flew into the homes of ordinary people.
Epic poems play a small role in Liu Yuxi’s poems, but they are extremely artistic and profound works.
During the more than 20 years after he was deported, Liu Yuxi visited Bashan Chushui, a place with simple folk customs. Influenced by local folk songs and slang, he created the folk song-style Zhuzhi Ci and Yangzhi Ci. His Zhuzhi Ci pays attention to absorbing folk spoken language and learning the melodious and graceful mood of folk songs, which is full of rich flavor of life and local characteristics. For example, the first one of "Two Poems on Bamboo Branches":
The willows are green and the Qingjiang River is level, and I can hear the singing on the Langjiang River. The sun rises in the east and rains in the west. There is no sunshine but there is sunshine.
"Nine Poems on Bamboo Branches" No. 2:
The mountains are covered with red flowers, and the spring water of Shu River beats the mountain flow. The bonus fades easily like a man's will, and the water flow is infinite like Nong's sorrow.
The poem is written in folk song style with Qi Jue. The first two sentences maintain the harmonious characteristics of Qi Jue's tones and rhythms, while the last two sentences draw on the desolate and resentful characteristics of folk sung Zhuzhi Ci tunes, and use harmonic puns and overlapping. , looping and other artistic techniques to make it more in line with the natural tone of singing. The same is true for the poems he wrote about willow branches, such as the first one of "Two Poems on Willow Branches":
Welcome the spring to arrive first, and the light yellow and light green reflect the tower. It's just because of the charming and sentimental thoughts, and even the spring breeze Changqian guessed.
One of the "Nine Poems on Poplar and Willow Branches":
The plum blossoms in Saibei are played on the Qiang flute, and the poems on the osmanthus trees in Huainan are played on the hills. Please don't play the songs from the previous dynasty and listen to the new version of "Willow Branches".
The characteristic of these poems is that they boldly reveal inner emotions like folk songs, retaining fresh and hearty moods and loud and harmonious rhythms, but they are more delicate and gorgeous than ordinary folk songs. Liu Yuxi's other modern poetry also often has the characteristics of bright, bright and beautiful rhyme. For example, the first one of "Two Autumn Poems": "Since ancient times, autumn has been sad and lonely, and I say that autumn is better than spring. A crane lining the clouds in the clear sky brings poetry to the blue sky." Generally speaking, Liu Yuxi's poems are They are all relatively lively, whether they are ancient poems, Yuefu poems, or modern poems, all of which have this characteristic. Especially the folk-style poems he wrote when he was demoted are fresh, lively, and bright in style. His modern poetry is implicit and concise, his style is vigorous and hearty, and he has an indomitable spirit. He is also unique in art and has made a unique contribution to the development of Tang poetry.
Liu Zongyuan (773-819), courtesy name Zihou, was born in Jiezhou, Hedong (now Yuncheng, Shanxi), but he was born in Chang'an and spent his childhood in Chang'an. When he was twelve or thirteen, he went to Xia with his father. I visited Changsha again. In the ninth year of Zhenyuan (793), he entered the imperial examination and later traveled to Pizhou (today's Binxian County, Shaanxi Province). In the fourteenth year of Zhenyuan (798), he graduated from the Department of Erxuehongci and was awarded the Zhengzi of Jixiandian. Three years later, he was transferred to Lantian Wei. In the 19th year of Zhenyuan (803), he was transferred back to the imperial court from Lantian Wei to serve as supervisory censor Li Xing. He met Wang Shuwen and joined his group. In the first year of Yongzhen (805), he was promoted to wailang, a member of the Ministry of Rites, and participated in the Yongzhen reforms hosted by Wang Shuwen Group. Soon the Wang Shuwen Group lost power and collapsed, and he was demoted to the desolate Yongzhou (now Lingling District, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province) as a Sima. . This was a turning point in his life. Before that, everything was smooth sailing for him. From then on, he never had the chance to change his destiny. He served as Sima in Yongzhou for about ten years. Sima was an idle official outside the official quota, so he was able to devote himself to writing and write poetry and prose works with high literary achievements. In the tenth year of Yuanhe (815), he, Liu Yuxi and others were suddenly recalled to the capital, and they were all demoted to the governor of Yuanzhou. He was demoted to the governor of Liuzhou (today's Liuzhou, Guangxi). Although their official positions were promoted, the region was not. It was even further, and he died of illness in Liuzhou four years later.
Most of Liu Zongyuan's poems were written during the period when he was demoted to Yongzhou and Liuzhou. The main content is to express the depression, sadness and homesickness of being demoted. The sorrow and anger are extremely deep and broad, and the style is cold and steep. He said in "Farewell to my brother Zongyi": "The scattered and residual reds are doubly sad, and the two shed tears across the river. I traveled six thousand miles to the country, and I died in the wilderness for twelve years. The miasma in the Guiling came and the clouds were like ink, The spring water in Dongting is like the sky. I want to know that from now on, I will miss you and dream about it, and I will grow up in the smoke of the Ying tree in Jingmen. "How can it not make the poet heartbroken when he is far away from his hometown and relatives, as described in "Looking at the Mountains with the Master Hao Chu to Send Relatives to Beijing". :
The sharp mountains by the sea are like swords, and autumn is everywhere cutting the heart of sorrow. If you were to transform yourself into a thousand-billion-strong body, you would go up to the top of the mountain and look at your hometown.
Another example is what "Climb the Liuzhou City Tower and Send to Zhangting to seal the four states":
The tall buildings on the city are connected to the wilderness, and the sea and the sky are full of sorrow and thoughts. The trembling wind stirred up the hibiscus water, and the dense rain slanted into the Xili wall. The mountains and trees cover thousands of miles of sight, and the river flows like nine ileum. When I came to Baiyue Tattoo Place, I felt like my music and writings were stagnant in the same hometown.
The indescribable sorrows fill the world, the mountains and the sea, like swords engraved in the soul, like sea fog boundless, showing the miserable life and unreasonable grief and anger of the relegated poet.
Liu Zongyuan's poems are more than submissive and have the characteristics of being better at mourning. For example, "Miluo Encounters the Wind": "Don't be sad for the Chu ministers when you come to the south. You have to return to the school for your own time. In order to report the spring breeze on the Miluo Road, don't let the waves go to waste." "Liuzhou February Banyan Leaves Fallen Occasionally": " The love of official affairs is so desolate, half of spring is like autumn. After the rain in the mountain city, all the flowers are gone, and the banyan leaves are all over the garden, and the orioles are singing. "The desolation and sadness of being driven away from a foreign land are expressed in a profound and subtle way. In order to free himself from the grief and anger of being demoted, Liu Zongyuan read Buddhist books, traveled around mountains and rivers, and imagined that he would retreat to the countryside like Tao Yuanming.
While he was being demoted, he wrote some pastoral poems on landscapes and rivers, trying to purify his soul and eliminate the troubles of reality with the quiet and quiet natural state. For example, "The Title in the South Stream": "The autumn air gathers in the South Stream, and I wander alone in the pavilion at noon. The returning wind is bleak. , The shadows in the forest are uneven for a long time. From the beginning to the end, if you get something, you will forget about it. "A kind of lonely and lonely feeling always lingers in my heart. He said in "Watching the Moon in the West Garden from Midnight": "The cold moon goes up to the east ridge, and the bamboo roots are sparse and cold. The sound of the stone spring is far away, and the mountain birds make a noise every now and then. I lean on the couplets until the end of the day, and I will be lonely." On a cold moonlit night, there are only the sounds of springs and mountain birds.
Due to the loneliness of being relegated to the frontier, Liu Zongyuan's landscape poems often present an empty and lonely realm, where the world is old and the world is wild, and the world is cold and cold. For example, "Snow on the River":
Thousands of birds have disappeared, and thousands of people have disappeared. Boat PC World Weng, fishing alone trees and snow.
"The Fisherman":
The Fisherman stayed near the western rock at night, and at dawn he drew clear water and burned bamboo. When the cigarettes are sold out and no one is seen at sunrise, there is a sound of green mountains and rivers. Looking back at the middle stream under the sky, unintentional clouds are chasing each other on the rocks.
Although it is influenced by the bland style of Tao Yuanming's pastoral landscape poems, it is not as quiet and leisurely as Tao Yuanming's poems, but has an extra layer of indifference and emptiness, and is written in an extremely lonely and upright style. In the creation of landscape poems, Wei and Liu are often compared. For example, in "After the Collected Poems of Huang Zisi", Su Shi said that the poems of Liu Zongyuan and Wei Yingwu can "send fine grains to the simple ancients and convey the taste to indifference." He believed that Liu Zongyuan's The poem is concise, gentle, and profound. It is dry on the outside but creamy on the inside, seemingly light but actually beautiful.