The imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty adopted an admission system that combined examination and recommendation. The quality of the test paper is only half of the score, and the other half is in the hands of the recommendation officer. At that time, it was very popular to send poems and essays to candidates for examinations through connections. As long as you find a respectable person in the society to recommend you, you are 90% sure of winning, because the examiner also wants to see the recommender's favor and face.
Du Fu was born in a family that "obeys Confucianism and guards officials". His official position is low and he cannot talk to the senior officials. Therefore, even if you are the grandson of Du Shenyan, a famous poet in the early Tang Dynasty, even if you learn poetry at the age of seven and become famous for your poetry at the age of fourteen or fifteen, it will not be as effective as the recommendation of a dignitary.
Du Fu also submitted his poems to many dignitaries, but no one paid attention to them. In fact, in the Tang Dynasty, the proportion of ordinary people's children who could pass the imperial examination and become officials was not high. Among the seventy-four number one scholars in the Tang Dynasty, only a handful were truly from ordinary people. Although Du Fu also came from a family of officials, even a minor official could not reach that threshold. Therefore, Du Fu's failure was a great personal blow to him.
Du Fu was a man with a strong desire for fame. He had tried all three ways of "learning well and becoming an official": imperial examination, writing papers and petitioning the emperor, and more than once. He failed in the imperial examinations twice, appealed directly to the emperor three times, and begged for recommendations for power more frequently. But God forbid, Du Fu's wishes were shattered time and time again.
This extremely dark and desolate period is also shown in his works. In "A Gift to Wei Zuo Cheng Zhang", he wrote:
This meaning is actually depressed , singing is not hidden.
Thirteen years of riding a donkey, traveling in Beijing and China.
Keep a rich man’s door in the morning, and follow the fat horse dust in the evening.
The broken cup and the cold food lurk sadness everywhere.
From this, we can see Du Fu's embarrassment, embarrassment, hardship, humility, and pity. But what is consoling is that these unforgettable pains also provided him with valuable personal experience in poetry creation in the future.
In the face of the painful reality, a realist poet who cared about the country and the people was born. From then on, there was a great realist poet in the history of Chinese literature, but behind this, the poet and even the Tang Dynasty were burdened the suffering of the people.
Under the social environment and background at that time, many people were indeed promoted exceptionally and became important ministers of the imperial court. It was an opportunity to promote talents in an eclectic way. Du Fu was also a beneficiary originally, but In the end, he was reprimanded because of the "Fang Guan Incident". Fang Guan was a good friend of Du Fu. Because of his lack of practicality, he almost wiped out the 40,000 Tang army in the Battle of Chentao. Suzong was furious and demoted him from the position of prime minister. When Du Fu saw his friend being demoted, he helped him escape the crime and was also demoted. From then on, he stayed away from Chang'an and began his wandering life.
Du Fu, who was demoted to Huazhou Sigong and joined the army, witnessed the social phenomenon after the war on his way to Huazhou and wrote "Three Officials and Three Farewells", namely "Xin'an Officials", "Shihao Officials", "Tongguan Officials", "Newlywed Farewell", "Wujia Farewell" and "Old Farewell" have profound content, melancholy and vigorous style, refined language and rigorous narrative, which truly reflect the transformation of the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to prosperity. The process of decline has also become an immortal work in Du Fu's poems.