Preface to Mao Poetry, also known as Preface to Mao Poetry, was written in the Western Han Dynasty, not by one person. This literary theory is rich in content and occupies a high position in the history of China's literary theory criticism, which can almost be said to be the theoretical program of orthodox literature in feudal society in the next two thousand years.
For the theoretical content of Preface to Mao Poetry, students should master the following two points:
(1), "emotion" said:
A poet, where there is ambition, has ambition in his heart and speaks like a poem. Emotion moves in the middle and is shaped by words. Sigh if you don't talk enough. If they are not enough, they will sing forever. If they are not enough, they will dance with their hands and feet.
Preface to Mao's Poetry is a theory about the essence of poetry, which should be grasped in the history of ancient literary theory, such as the theory of "poetry expressing ambition" in the pre-Qin period and the theory of "poetic sentiment" in later generations. Please refer to the teaching materials and reference materials.
(2), "six meanings" said:
Therefore, poetry has six meanings: one is wind, the other is fu, the third is comparison, the fourth is prosperity, the fifth is elegance, and the sixth is ode.
For the explanation of the specific connotation of "six meanings", you can refer to textbooks and reference materials, and you can also refer to other materials you can find, because this is a complicated problem.
(3) the theory that "feeling is the only way to stop being polite"
The clear traces of gains and losses in national history hurt people, lamented the harshness of criminal politics, praised temperament, based on the wind, and reached the incident and nostalgia, so it became sentimental and ended in propriety and righteousness. It is human nature to express feelings; Stop at courtesy and righteousness, and the first king's ze is also.
(4) Typical theory
It is based on the matter of a country and the foundation of one person, which is called the wind; It is an elegance to talk about everything and form a wind in all directions.
Translation of Preface to Mao Shi
Guan Ju is a poem about the virtue of empresses. The beginning of The Book of Songs is used to educate the world and correct the way of husband and wife. So it can be used to educate rural people, and it can also be used to educate princes and countries. Wind is moral and enlightenment; Use fables to move and educate people.
Poetry is used to express emotions. When a variety of psychological factors are activated in the heart, it is ambition, and when expressed in language, it is poetry. When emotion is touched and aroused in the heart, it will inevitably show that language is art, and when language is not enough to express emotion, it will sigh. When sigh is not enough to express emotion, it will lead to Long song, while Long song is not enough to express emotion, so it can't help dancing and having fun.
Emotion should be expressed by sound, and sound becomes the tone of palace, business, horn, sign and feather. This is music. Millennium music is peaceful and joyful, and politics at that time was peaceful and smooth; The music in troubled times was resentful and angry, and the politics at that time was surly and cruel; The music at the time of national subjugation was sad and thoughtful, and its people were trapped and poor. Therefore, nothing is closer to achieving this goal than poetry, to correct political gains and losses and to touch the gods of heaven and earth. Ancient kings used poems to correct the relationship between husband and wife, cultivate filial piety, integrity ethics, educate honesty and beauty, and change bad customs.
Therefore, poetry has six meanings: one is called wind, the other is called fu, the third is called bi, the fourth is called xing, the fifth is called elegance, and the sixth is called ode. The upper class (ruler) educates the lower class (common people) with "wind", while the lower class (common people) satirizes the upper class (ruler) with "wind" and uses argot as euphemism persuasion. (in this way) the speaker will not offend, and the listener will be alert. This is called "wind". As for the decline of the king, the etiquette is lax. National historians understand the facts of political gains and losses, grieve for the relaxation of human relations, and lament for the harshness of criminal law and politics, so they chant their feelings and become poems satirizing the monarch. This is because things in the world (have) changed and they miss the old customs, so "changing the wind" is a heartfelt emotion, but it does not go beyond etiquette. Feelings from the heart are human nature; It is the grace of my late king to be enlightened not to go beyond propriety and righteousness. Therefore, if poetry praises a country and only expresses the poet's inner feelings, it is called "wind"; If poetry is about the world and shows the customs in all directions, it is called elegance. "Elegance" is a positive meaning, which refers to the reasons for the decline and prosperity of the royal government. Politics is different, so some are called "less" and some are called "elegance". Ode is to praise Wang Shengde and tell his ancestors about his successful career. (Wind, Xiaoya, Elegance, Ode) This is the "four beginnings" and the highest in the poem.
However, the enlightenment of Guan Ju and Linzhi was originally the "wind" of the times (but the "wind" only talked about one country, and the queen Wen came to be the emperor to govern the four corners of the world), so it can only be recorded in the name of the Duke of Zhou. "South" refers to the education of the son of heaven from north to south. The virtue of "Quechao" and "Li Yu" was originally the "wind" of vassal States, which was used by the former kings to educate them. (the queen Wen is the son of heaven and should be in charge of all directions), so write it down under her name. "Nan Zhou" and "Zhao Nan" are the standards to regulate and measure the initial time, and they are the foundation of kingly education.