This poem is a parody of the old theme of Yuefu, which is intended to send friends to Sichuan. The poet developed a rich imagination in a romantic way, artistically recreating the spectacular, abrupt, tenacious and rugged Sichuan road and the majestic momentum that could not be surpassed, thus singing the magnificent scenery of Sichuan mountains and rivers and showing the magnificent scenery of the motherland. [9]
As for whether this poem has a deeper meaning, there are different opinions in the past dynasties. But as far as poetry is concerned, it is not necessarily meaningful to analyze it. But it can be seen from the poem, "What if he is not loyal, but a wolf to his companions?" It is about the beautiful mountains and rivers of Shu, warning the authorities that Shu is dangerous and the people should defend it well. [ 10]
Poetic prose is mixed, the sentences are uneven, the brushwork is vertical and horizontal, and it is bold and free. The whole poem has strong feelings, three sighs and repeated cycles, which makes people excited to read.
Poets generally follow the clues from ancient times to the present, from Qin to Shu, and describe them by grasping the landscape characteristics of various places to show the difficulty of Shu Dao.
It is a passage from "Aye, Woo, Aye" to "Then the ladder is connected with the stone pile". At the beginning, I spoke very hard about the difficulty of Shu Dao and pointed it out with strong feelings.
Poetic map
The theme laid a bold tone for the whole poem. With the ups and downs of feelings and the changes of natural scenery, the chanting of "it is difficult to get through the Shu Road and get to the sky" appears repeatedly, like the main theme of a piece of music, which touches the readers' heartstrings.
It is said that Shu Dao is more difficult than Tian Dao. This is because since ancient times, Qin and Shu have been blocked by mountains. When Qin entered Shu, Taibai Peak bore the brunt, and only birds flying high could fly low. Taibai Peak, located in the southwest of Xianyang, Qin Dou, is the highest peak in Guanzhong area. There is a saying among the people that "martial arts are too white, and three hundred miles reach the sky." The poet wrote an insurmountable obstacle in history with exaggerated pen and ink, which blended into the myth of Wuding Mountain and touched the magical color, just like the overture of a movement, which was fascinating and magical. The following is a description of the high danger of Shu Dao. [ 1 1]
From a height, such as on a high flag, six dragons drove the sun to the point where even hearing its pale cheeks was another passage. This paragraph describes the high risk of this mountain. The more complete the mountain is, the harder the road is. Look at that abrupt mountain, towering high in the sky, blocking the operation of the sun god; At the foot of the mountain is a choppy and winding river. Poets not only combine exaggeration with myth, but also describe mountains and heights, and are lined with the risk of "returning to Sichuan" Only its water risk, but also its mountain high risk. The poet's meaning is not enough, and he compares it with that of an ape. The mountain is so high that even the yellow crane flying thousands of miles away can't fly, and the agile ape is worried that he can't climb it. It goes without saying that it is even more difficult for people to walk. The above is the foil of layers of imaginary writing, and the following is a detailed description of the difficulty of clearing the spirit.
Qingniling, "Wan Ren on the Cliff, Cloudy and Rainy" (Yuanhe County Records), is the main road leading to Shu in the Tang Dynasty. The poet focuses on the entanglement of the peak road and the steepness of the mountain, showing the difficult situation and fear of pedestrians, and capturing detailed actions such as wandering on the ridge, touching the stars, breathing nervously, touching the chest and sighing. In a few words, he vividly described the difficult steps and expressions of fear of pedestrians, and the situation of being trapped and dangerous was like this. [ 12]
At this point, the difficulty of Shu Dao seems to have been written to the extreme. However, when the poet turned his pen, he used "ask the gentleman" to draw out his travel worries, and with a low melody, he brought the reader into a realm of desolate ancient trees and sad birds. The cuckoo is ringing in the empty valley, full of sadness, which makes people feel pale and more difficult to escape from the road. Poets express their feelings with scenery, and use natural landscapes with strong feelings such as "sad birds, ancient trees" and "Zigui Strip" to render the lonely and desolate environment and atmosphere on Shu Road, which effectively sets off the difficulties of Shu Road. [ 1 1]
However, the winding Shu Road has a more magical scenery. From "barely one foot below the highest cliff in the sky" to the end of the whole article, it mainly reveals the difficulty of Shu Dao from the danger of mountains and rivers, and tries to render a thrilling atmosphere. If "the sky is high and the cliff is low" is a boast of the height of the mountain peak, then "the withered pine hanging from the cliff surface" is a danger of precipice.
The poet first showed the high risk of the mountain, then turned from static to static, and wrote the thrilling scene of water and stone stirring and valley roaring. seemingly
A series of focal planes: at first, it is a distant view of ups and downs of mountains and peaks; Then gently push it into a close-up of dead pine hanging upside down; Then, followed by a group of fast shots, speeding rapids, waterfalls, cliffs and rocks. With the sound of thousands of valleys and thunder, it flashed quickly from the eyes, which was amazing and dizzying, thus causing overwhelming artistic effects and making the description of Shu Road difficult to reach its peak. If the high risk of the mountains above is daunting, then the mountains and rivers here are even more thrilling. [ 12]
The scenery is changing and there are many dangers. In a very thrilling atmosphere, I finally wrote Jiange, a fortress in the middle of Shu. There is a 30-mile plank road between Dajianshan and Xiaojian Mountain. The peaks are like swords, standing tall, cutting walls like doors, forming a natural fortress. Because of its dangerous terrain, it is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Historically, there were many people who claimed to be kings here. The poet described a political situation from the danger of Jiange. He used the phrase "If you win, it's not suitable for bandits' relatives to live in" in Zhang Zai's Ming of Jiange in the Western Jin Dynasty to advise people to take warning and be alert to the occurrence of war. In connection with the social background at that time, he revealed that "he bared his teeth and claws, and Sichuan jackal killed people like hemp", thus expressing his anxiety and concern about state affairs. In the early years of Tianbao in the Tang Dynasty, there was a crisis lurking behind the peaceful and prosperous times, and the Anshi Rebellion that happened later proved that the poet's worries were of practical significance. [ 1 1]
Li Bai vividly described the dangers of Shu Dao with unpredictable brushwork, artistically expressed the winding, majestic, lofty and rough face of ancient Shu Dao, and described a colorful landscape painting. The touching scene in this poem seems very vivid.
Li Bai's description is so touching because of his romantic passion. The poet sends his feelings to the mountains and rivers. He is not indifferent to the natural scenery, but enthusiastically praises it to express his ideal feelings. Surging water and dangerous peaks and valleys endow the poet with emotional temperament, thus showing a flying soul and a magnificent posture. Poets are good at combining imagination, exaggeration and myths and legends to write scenery and express feelings. The mountain height is called "high, such as on the Gao Qi, where six dragons drive the sun"; If the road is dangerous, it is called "it was destroyed by an earthquake once, and some brave people lost it, and then the ladder was connected with the stone pile". The poet "galloping away from the clouds and whipping the sea and the moon" (a comment on the seven sentences of Li Bai's ancient saying in Lu Shiyong's A General Theory of Poetry and Mirrors) has created a broad artistic realm full of romanticism, from the beginning of silkworms to the beginning of mountains in Wuding, from the return of six dragons to the night cry in Zigui. Through the spectacular scenery of mountains and rivers, I seem to see the tall image of the poet "shaking the five mountains with pen and laughing proudly at Cangzhou". [ 13]
Before the Tang Dynasty, Shu Daonan's works were short and pithy. Li Bai innovated and developed the ancient poems of Dongfu, and used a large number of prose poems, ranging in length from three words, four words, five words, seven words to eleven words, forming a very unrestrained language style. The rhyme of poetry also broke through the old rhyme procedure in Liang and Chen Dynasties. Later, I described the sinister environment in Sichuan and changed the rhyme three times in a row, trying my best to change things. Therefore, Yin Kun's "He Yue Ling Photo Collection" called this poem "strange and strange, and it is rare for the poet to return."
There are various moral theories about this article, and the conclusion is addressed to someone or something. According to Hu Zhenheng and Gu in Ming Dynasty, Li Bai "sang for himself" and "had no other intention". Nowadays, some people say that this poem is difficult to write on the surface of Shu Dao, but in fact it is a bumpy career, reflecting the resentment that the poet's life experience and talents are not satisfied during his long-term roaming. So far, there is no conclusion. [ 14]
Piecewise analysis
In the first paragraph, from the beginning to the "connection", four rhymes are used to set the bold tone for the whole poem, and the myth of "Five Ding Kai Shan" is used to touch the magic color. There is a myth about Shu Dao in Biography of King Shu. It is said that during the reign of King Hui of Qin, King Shu had five Hercules, called "Five Powerful Men". Their strength is infinite. So King Hui of Qin gave a beautiful woman to Wu Ding, the king of Shu, who ordered Wu Ding Lishi to move mountains to open the way and marry the beautiful woman. On the way back, I saw a big snake jump into the cave. Wu Ding Lishi stepped forward to hold the snake's tail and dragged it out. Suddenly the ground shook, the mountain collapsed and five Ding Lishi died. The five beauties of Qin all ran up the mountain and became stone men. This myth reflects that in ancient times, many working people cut mountains to open the way, sacrificing many people, and finally opened the Qin-Shu passage. Using the motif of this myth, Li Bai wrote the second sentence of the fifth rhyme: "It was broken by an earthquake, but the brave were lost", which can also be said to refer to the five Ding Lishi, and it can also be said to refer to the working people in Qian Qian who sacrificed their lives to pave the way. They died, and then entered Shu from Qin to connect the mountain road with the plank road. The poem ends here, describing the origin of Shu Dao with four rhymes and eight sentences.
The second paragraph * * * enjoys nine rhymes, describing the Shu road of the ladder stone stack. "Six Dragons Return to Japan" is also a fairy tale. It is said that the sun god He drives six dragons every morning from Fusang to Xichi to Ruomu. Zuo Si's "Shu Du Fu" has two sentences describing the mountains in the middle of Shu: "He Xu Dao is in Junban, and Wu Yang Yi is high." He and Wu Yang are synonymous with the sun. It means: the sun wants to borrow from the mountain. And the highest mountain also lets the sun fly back to escape. "As high as the Gao Qi, six dragons drive the sun." This sentence means that there are peaks on it that even the sun can't cross. "High standard" means holding high and towering, but it can be interpreted as a peak because it is used as a noun. Xiao quoted the cloud in the classic painting: high standard is the name of the mountain. This is because later generations misread Li Bai's poems, or attached them intentionally, and insisted on naming a mountain Gaobiao. In the original poem, "Gao Biao" and "Hui Chuan" are compared, which shows that it is by no means a proper noun.
These two poems have different versions. There are two anthologies in the Tang Dynasty, one is Yue Ying Ling He Ji and Ji Xuan Ji, the other is Tang Dynasty manuscripts found in Dunhuang stone chambers, and Tang Cui Wen in the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty. These two sentences are not "high above, six dragons drive the sun, and thousands of valleys are difficult to fill", but "there are clouds on the river that break the sea, and there are rapids under the river." From the dual point of view, the latter is more neat, while the former is more stable if the sentence is bold and unconstrained. Perhaps the latter was the first draft circulated at that time, while the former was the author's final draft. Therefore, the anthology at that time was Crossing the River and Breaking the Sea, while the anthology compiled by Li was Six Dragons Returning to Japan. [ 15]
The following paragraph also describes the height and danger of Shushan. Yellow cranes can't fly, and apes are afraid to climb. Qingniling, in Lueyang County, Shaanxi Province, is the only way for Qin to reach Shu. This mountain road twists and turns, winding back and forth on the rocks, and the road is extremely difficult. Shenhejing is one of the 28 lodgings. Shu belongs to the dividing line of Betelgeuse and Qin belongs to the dividing line. On a high-risk mountain road, going from Qin to Shu is like lying on your back, holding your breath and touching the starry sky. During such a difficult journey, pedestrians put their hands on their chests and sighed. The word "sit" is not sitting on your feet, but rather "therefore"
The above is the first half of the second paragraph, with four rhymes and eight sentences, which renders the difficulty of Shu Dao. The next sentence was suddenly added, "We wonder if this path to the west will never end", which revealed the theme of the gift line. The author didn't say something like a farewell poem, but inserted "When will you come back?" This reflects that it is not easy to come and go. This sentence itself has also become a description of the difficulty of Shu Dao.
The following four rhymes and seven sentences are still written immediately after the above four rhymes, but the object of description has changed. Now don't write high mountains and high roads, write birds in the mountains. The poet said: these towering rocks that cannot be climbed are really roads that travelers dare not take. On this road, all you can see is the birds moaning on the ancient trees, and the female birds are flying around with the male birds in the secluded forest. There is also the famous Zigui bird in Sichuan, which often cries under the moon. It is said that in ancient times there was a Shu king named Du Yu, nicknamed Wang Di. He died of national subjugation and became a bird, whining in the mountains every night, as if crying. [ 15]
There are one or two rhymes below, which are the conclusion of the second paragraph. Repeat "this kind of trip is more difficult than climbing the blue sky" first, and then say: people will turn pale with fear after hearing these things. The "fading face" here can only be said to be "discolored" because of fright, although it should be said to be "aging" elsewhere.
Below the second paragraph, the rhyme and composition seem a little uneven. According to the rhyme method, it is divided into three paragraphs. But judging from the structure of ideological content, it can only be said to be two paragraphs. From "breaking up with heaven" to "fooling around" is a paragraph, which is the third paragraph of the whole poem. From "although the dagger-tower passage is firm and stern" to the last sentence is another paragraph, that is, the fourth paragraph of the whole poem. The first four sentences of the third paragraph still describe the danger of mountains and rivers in Shu, but the author uses two rhymes. The rhyme of "ruler" and "wall" is only two sentences, and then the rhyme changes immediately, making readers feel that there is a lack of atmosphere here. Suddenly insert such a short rhyme syntax in a long line, generally
Ode to the Difficult Road of Shu
Are considered to be shortcomings. Although Li Bai is brilliant, free in rhyme and unconstrained style, these two rhymes are urgent and incoherent, which is not desirable in the eyes of people who pay attention to poetry.
The first two sentences of this paragraph describe the withered pine hanging upside down on the cliff, and the last two sentences describe the violent trend of the mountain spring rushing to the cliff, such as the thunder of thousands of valleys. Finally, end with a sentence "This is at stake". This "so" not only refers to the above two sentences, but also summarizes all the following descriptions: "high, just like on a high banner, six dragons drive the sun." The danger of Shu Dao in the landscape situation has passed. Here comes another question: Why do you want to be a long-distance guest here? This is another unexpected remark. From the standpoint of people in Shu, it means that our place is difficult to walk, so why did you come? If you stand in the sender's position, that is, why do you have to go there to embark on such a dangerous journey?
Then I turned to the fourth paragraph and suddenly talked about the military situation in Sichuan. "One man is better than ten thousand men" is easier to defend than to attack. It's very dangerous for a place like this to be guarded by someone you can trust. These poems are entirely based on four sentences in Zhang Zai's Ming of Jiange in the Jin Dynasty: "One person holds a halberd, ten thousand people lose their hoofs, the ground wins, and bandits are close." Li Bai's description of the difficulty of Shu Dao is related to the political significance of the situation in Shu, which has actually gone beyond the scope of the old Yuefu title "The difficulty of Shu Dao". Bashu is rich in products, which is very important for the economic supply of Sanqin. Therefore, the first sentence of Wang Bo's poem "The Biography of Sending Du Shaofu to Shu" said that Shu Zhong was "on the wall around Sanqin area", which also pointed out this point. Although Li Bai's Yuefu poems all use old topics, they often inject new ideas and have practical significance. This poem reflects that since the early Tang Dynasty, Shu, because of its non-blood relationship, caused many invasions by Tubo and Naman, which led to a devastating war and shook the Sanqin.
This poem is a part mentioned by Li Bai in passing when describing the difficulties of Shu Dao. But it made later readers mistakenly think that this is the theme of the whole poem. Some people satirize Zhangqiu and Joan of Arc for this poem, some people think it's satirizing Yanwu, and some people think it's satirizing officials who usually take risks. They are all confused by this poem and come to these conclusions. However, these poems do destroy the unity of the whole poem, and they are written in poems for friends in Sichuan, which really make people feel the feeling of two different themes. However, this poem is an expression of the poet's feelings: the forces in the middle of Shu are intertwined, and the dangerous formation has become a hotbed for the ambition of separatist regimes. Li Bai was afraid that his friend would go astray and die, so he said, "One person can keep it, but ten thousand people can't force it" and "Although the Silk City is beautiful, I would like to return to my hometown as soon as possible".