Tao Yuanming (about 365-427) was a native of Xunyang (now a native of Xingzi County, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province). A famous pastoral poet in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Han nationality, and writer. Also known as Qian, with the courtesy name Yuanliang, he was nicknamed Mr. Wuliu because he planted five willow trees next to his house. He was privately named Jingjie and was a native of Xiuxi Village, Chengtang Town, Yifeng County. Poet of Jin Dynasty. "Taiping Huanyu Ji", the general geographical journal of the Song Dynasty, has records that Tao Yuanming "became home in Yifeng". Yifeng's old "Illustrated Book" also says this. Tao Yuanming moved to Chaisang when he was 29 years old, and served as a wine worshiper in Jiangzhou and joined the army in town. Later he served as magistrate of Pengze County. Because he did not serve the powerful, he abandoned his official position and lived in seclusion in Lili (in today's Xingzi County). At the age of 52, he and his young son Tao Tong returned to their hometown in Yifeng. Four years later, they returned to Xunyang and died in Chaisang. Tao Tong stayed in his hometown. People with the Tao surname in Xiuxi, Gucun and other places in today's Chengtang Town are all descendants of Tao Tong. According to the local records of the past dynasties, there are Nanshan, Liuzhai, Juxuan, Dongli, Ink Washing Pond, Book Collection Bin, Guli Bridge, Jingjie Bridge, Wogong Bridge, Shuxiaotai, Fu Shiwan, Gu Yuan Stone, Zuiwo Stone, etc. in Yifeng. Yuanming Cave, Reading Hall, Jingjie Temple and other Tao Yuanming relics and commemorative buildings.
He was born into a declining bureaucratic landlord family. Having been educated in Confucianism since childhood, he is full of illusions about life and hopes to realize his ambition of "helping the common people" through his official career. Since the age of 29, he has served as Jiangzhou Jijiujiu, Zhenjun Joining the Army, and Pengze County Magistrate. He was dissatisfied with the dark reality that the Tu ethnic landlords controlled the power at that time. When he was the magistrate of Pengze County, because he was unwilling to "break down his waist for five buckets of rice", he resigned and returned home after only 80 days, and wrote "Returning to Come", which is self-explanatory. Chi. From then on, he "worked hard and financed himself" until his death at the age of 63 due to poverty and illness. He is good at poetry and poetry, and his poems mostly describe natural scenery and scenes of life in rural areas. His excellent works contain his hatred of the decadent ruling group and his unwillingness to join in the same trend, but there is also a nihilistic "life is impermanent". Negative thoughts such as "Happy Heaven and Peace of Life". Poems on another type of theme, such as "Ode to Jing Ke", express his political ambitions and are quite sad, angry and generous. The most famous prose is "Peach Blossom Spring". Tao Yuanming's poetry has both a plain conversational and hearty style, and his language is simple, natural, and extremely refined. There is "Tao Yuanming Collection".
Appreciation of Tao Yuanming's poetry
1. Drinking poems
Tao Yuanming was the first poet in the history of Chinese literature to write a large number of drinking poems. His 20 "Drinking" poems use an "intoxicating" tone to accuse the upper class society of confusing right and wrong, criticizing and blaming the same; or exposing the corruption and darkness of the world; or reflecting the dangers of official career; or expressing the poet's intoxicated mood after retiring from officialdom; or It expresses the poet's dissatisfaction in difficulties. Judging from the mood and style of the poem, it may not be a work from the same period. In the second year of Yuanxi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (420), Liu Yu deposed Emperor Gong of the Jin Dynasty as King Lingling. He killed him the following year and established the Liu Song Dynasty. "Shu Jiu" uses metaphors to obscurely and tortuously record this process of usurping power and changing generations. He expressed infinite sorrow for the fall of Emperor Gong of Jin and the Jin Dynasty. At this time, Tao Yuanming had been living in seclusion for many years. He was used to seeing troubled times and usurping power. But this poem still reveals his unforgettable spirit about worldly affairs.
2. Poems about feelings
Represented by 12 poems in "Miscellaneous Poems" and 13 poems in "Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas". Most of the 12 poems in "Miscellaneous Poems" express his political anguish of being unable to achieve his ambitions after retiring into seclusion, and express his noble personality of not collaborating with the secular world. It can be seen that the poet's inner sorrow and anger are infinitely deep and wide. The 13th poem of "Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas" expresses the same content by chanting strange things in "The Classic of Mountains and Seas". For example, the 10th poem expresses and shows that his ambition to help the world will never be extinguished by praising Jingwei and Xingtian's "fierce will is always there" .
3. Pastoral Poems
Tao Yuanming’s pastoral poems have the largest number and the highest achievements. This kind of poem fully expresses the poet's lofty aspirations and noble integrity that despise fame and wealth; fully expresses the poet's extreme hatred and complete break with the dark officialdom; fully expresses the poet's love for the simple pastoral life and his love for labor. understanding and friendly feelings towards the working people; fully expressing the poet's pursuit and yearning for the ideal world. As a literati, such thoughts and feelings, and such content, are unprecedented in the history of literature, especially in a society with a clan system and strict concepts. Some of Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems also reflect his difficult situation in his later years, which can allow us to indirectly understand the miserable life of the peasant class at that time. Tao Yuanming's "Peach Blossom Spring Poem" was probably written in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty. It depicts a utopian ideal society. It expresses the poet's complete negation of the existing social system and his infinite pursuit of the ideal world. It marks that Tao Yuanming's thoughts have reached a new height. Tao Yuanming is the founder of pastoral poetry. With its simple and natural language and lofty artistic conception, it opened up a new world for Chinese poetry and directly influenced the pastoral poetry school of the Tang Dynasty.
"Returning to the Countryside" is a heroic declaration of leaving the official career and returning to the countryside. Tao Yuanming uses a poetic mind to see through life, uses vivid pens to embellish the scenery, and reproduces and unfettered rural life. The description of the natural scenery with clear clouds and clear winds shows the poet's romantic feelings of advocating nature and pursuing freedom. It also reflects the poet's aversion to officialdom and his aloofness from the world. When people talk about "Returning Songs", they are accustomed to praising Tao Yuanming's pastoral joy and seclusion, but ignore the sadness of life hidden between the lines.
When I was studying the text, I discovered an interesting phenomenon, that is, while the poet was expressing joy, he always intentionally or unintentionally used some words and phrases that could easily remind people of his sadness and pain, and try to figure out and appreciate the deep connotation of these words and phrases. , I feel that "Returning to the Past" is also, in a sense, a spiritual elegance that reveals hidden pain and relieves depression. Let’s briefly analyze this based on the content of the article.
(1) The heart is filled with sorrow for the form of slavery. The first paragraph of the article explains the poet's reasons and determination to retire. Tao Yuanming retired to seclusion in the first year of Jin'an Emperor Yixi's reign. As for the reason why he went into seclusion, the "Song Book? Tao Qian's Biography" said that "the county sent the governor to the county, and the officials should restrain themselves to see him. Qian sighed and said: 'I can't bend my waist to the village villain with these five measures of rice.' He untied the seal ribbon that day. After leaving office, he wrote "Return". "Tao Yuanming himself said something slightly different. He said in the preface to "The Return of the Return" that "the Yu family is poor, farming is not enough to support themselves, they are immature and have too much room, and there is no grain in the jar. I have no money for life, but I have no skills." Under the advice of relatives and friends, " He entered the official career and obtained the post of Pengze County Magistrate. But it didn't take long, "I feel like I'm home." "Why? It's natural in nature, not the result of hard work. Although hunger and cold are severe, it goes against one's own health. When I try to do things with people, I eat and drink on my own. So I feel sad. Generosity, deeply ashamed of his life ambitions." However, he still planned to serve as an official for one year and then "pass away in his clothes." Just at this time, one of his sisters passed away, so he "resigned himself from office" and wrote this "Return and Lai Ci". Regardless of whether it is his biography or his preface, it is not difficult to see that the real reason why Tao Yuanming returned to the countryside is that "the heart is a servant of the body", that is, the mind is slaved by the body, and he does many things that are against his will and emotions, but he has no choice but to do what he wants to do. , I don’t want to do it but I have to do it. Analyzing the "Book of Song Dynasty" and the short preface, "Heart is a form of service" has two meanings: First, for the sake of food and drink, the poet restrained himself in officialdom, bent down to serve others, relied on others, and suffered cold eyes and discrimination, and felt deeply humiliated. and boredom. The second is that the poet is natural in nature, contrary to the common customs, cannot be strict, and cannot be tolerated in the world. Going against one's emotions and nature, going against one's own will, in the eyes of the poet, stains one's character and distorts one's soul, which makes him feel deeply ashamed, melancholy and sad. Once he wakes up, he feels that "the past cannot be admonished" but "the past can still be pursued"; he feels that "the lost path is not far away" and "what is today is not what it was yesterday", so he decides to abandon his official position and return to the fields. Of course, there is the joy that it is not too late to remedy the situation, and there is also the sadness of being trapped in officialdom and making a big mistake. In the declaration of "returning to the fields" after waking up from the dream and realizing the full realization, there is also a heart-wrenching and regretful self-blame.
(2) The pain of staying at home and gardening. The second paragraph of the article directly describes the scene of my return home in my imagination and the leisurely and comfortable life in my home after returning to seclusion. In the middle, there is the anxiety and urgency of "the bird in the cage is nostalgic for the old forest, and the fish in the pond is thinking about the old abyss", and there is also the feeling of finally breaking through the "dust net" and breaking free. There is the joy and excitement of "Fanli"; there is the joy of meeting again after a long separation and enjoying the family relationship; there is also the tranquility and comfort of strolling in the courtyard; there is the pride of drinking and being isolated from the world; there is also the joy of resting with a stick and wandering around The natural taste of the view. In short, in a word, the quiet and indifferent daily life, the warm and simple family affection in his hometown and the fresh and elegant natural landscape made the poet linger and intoxicated. When we read the article, we will feel the same and connect with it. However, it is worth noting that there are also some dazzling and touching words and phrases in this natural paragraph, which are thought-provoking and thought-provoking. "The clouds have no intention of coming out of Xiu, and the birds know when they are tired of flying." Write about the blue sky and white clouds, flying high above the dust, doing whatever you want, flying in the sky, unrestrained. "Wuxin" refers to the white clouds floating unsteadily, without any intention, naturally and smoothly. Write about birds in the mountains and forests, going out in the morning and returning at dusk, looking for food far and near, walking where they should and stopping where they should. "Tired" implies that the birds are running around and working hard, returning to the forest to nest, settling in silence and enjoying themselves. Whether they are white clouds or returning birds, they are free, carefree, carefree, and full of business. This actually reflects the poet's lack of freedom and uneasiness when he was trapped in the dust, trapped in officialdom, ups and downs in the world, and fettered by others. The pain of being who distorts the soul, suppresses temperament, loses freedom and has no choice but to do anything is profound and heavy, but it is not easy to detect. The poet wrote in another poem "A Zuo of the Beginning to Suppress the Army and Join the Army": "My eyes are tired of the different rivers, and my mind is thinking of the mountains and rivers. Looking at the clouds, I am ashamed of the tall birds, and facing the water, I am ashamed of the fish swimming." He also expressed his feelings. Same feeling. "The scenery is about to enter, caressing the lonely pine and lingering", describing the sunset and the dim scenery, exaggerating the sad feelings; writing about the standing pine, loneliness and helplessness, it is also a metaphor for the poet's loneliness and sadness of being aloof and arrogant. . A person is so lonely that he is like Li Bai looking at the mountains, "We never tire of looking at each other, only Jingting Mountain", the loneliness and pain in his heart is conceivable. It can be said that "there are few close friends in the world, and I wander alone in the pine trees"! "Introducing the cup to drink by oneself" reveals the poet's loneliness and depression as he drinks by himself and has no company. "Leaning on the south window to express your pride" has the meaning of being arrogant and aloof from the world. "The door is always closed although it is set up" directly reveals the poet's isolation, independence and aloofness and loneliness. These sentences seem to be carefree chatting, but in fact they are full of worry and anger. We read Tao Yuanming's aching heart.
(3) Worries about socializing and traveling. The third paragraph of the article describes Tao Yuanming's pastoral joy. Reading the poems, it is not difficult for us to appreciate the comfort of the poet working hard and cultivating the long acres, the elegance and leisure of traveling around the mountains and rivers, searching for wonders and sights, and the harmony and joy of accompanying the piano and writing, and talking about love. However, if we think deeply, we will find that, These words are all tortuous hints of "happiness on the outside and sorrow on the inside". Let’s talk about the poet’s contacts first.
Relatives and farmers, with whom the poet can "open up the garden, talk about mulberry and hemp over wine", talk about everything. The parents are short-lived, have the indifference to stay away from officialdom, and enjoy the warmth of family affection. However, the poet has a noble heart and is contrary to the world. Elegance, elegance, and unparalleled standards are far beyond the understanding and recognition of ordinary people and common people. The harmonious and joyful conversations are full of hidden worries of being ignorant of the world. The phrase "Music, music, music and books can relieve worries" undoubtedly implies that only the rhyme of poetry, books, music and music can convey emotions, convey aspirations, relieve worries, and ordinary "relatives" and "farmers" can only communicate in person, not infatuate. Let’s talk about the poet’s way of traveling. "It's either a carriage or a solitary boat. It's both graceful and graceful to find ravines, and it's also rough and steep." The boat goes alone, amusing itself, sometimes exploring deep and winding ravines, sometimes climbing over rugged hills, and beautiful scenery. The poet had a special liking for the strange view, inaccessible to people, and was so happy that he forgot to leave. Isn't this a scene that shows the poet's hidden and hidden feelings about leaving the world? In a sense, it can be said that the poet is a hermit in the mountains and forests who abandoned the world and was abandoned by the world. Maverick and independent, the poet is free and painful. Finally, look at what the poet sees and feels. "The trees are thriving, the springs have disappeared and begun to flow. When all good things are found, I feel that my life has come to an end." Seeing the scene of all things reviving and flourishing, the poet is not happy and poetic, but sad Lamenting old age and mourning oneself, this sensitivity and sadness are by no means an occasional outburst of the poet's inner world. It is definitely the natural expression of the pain and sorrow that the poet has accumulated in his heart for a long time and is depressed and difficult to express. As an old and frail poet with a short life, facing the prosperous and prosperous spring, what else can he do except sigh? From the above analysis, it is not difficult to see that the seemingly peaceful and joyful pastoral life of the poet is actually full of more pain of being ignorant of the world, despair of being independent from the world, and helplessness of the passage of life. When we read Tao's essays, we must not be happy and forget about our worries. .
(4) The anger of Zhixin. The fourth paragraph of the article expresses the poet's ambition and ambition, and expresses the poet's sentiments of being happy and contented with his life. Although we have strengthened our understanding of the poet's life philosophy of advocating nature, pursuing freedom, returning to simplicity, and observing temperance, our strong sighs and successive rhetorical questions have made us clearly aware of the contradictions and contradictions that make it difficult for the poet to decide whether to stay or leave, and whether to choose or not. depressed. "How long will it take to stay in the shape of the universe, will you leave or stay?" It laments that life is short and there is not much left in it. The emphasis on leaving one's heart to fate and letting nature take its course actually expresses the helplessness and pain of being unable to decide whether to stay or leave, and being unable to do so. "Why don't you want to do anything else?" denies the worry and uncertainty of hesitation. In fact, it hints at the unbearable suffering of wanting something and achieving what you want. "Talk about the multiplication and return to the end, love the destiny and ridicule the doubts?" Saying that he is happy with his destiny and has no doubts about it, it reflects the doubts and worries about where to go and the difficult choices to make. "Chat" means temporary and temporary. Does it also imply that the poet's choice is only a temporary measure? In fact, after retreating to the countryside, Tao Yuanming was not able to achieve true seclusion, because there were always times when he did not forget the world and felt sad. "Wealth and honor are not my wish, and the imperial homeland cannot be expected. I will go there alone in the hope of good times, or plant a staff and work hard. Climb to Donggao to soothe my whistle, and write poems near the clear stream." Writing about one's intoxication with landscapes and carefreeness is actually a reflection of A kind of condemnation and protest from reality. Tao Yuanming neither wanted to be obsessed with the secular world to gain fame and wealth, nor did he bother to escape from the human world and fly to fairyland. In order to maintain his pure and simple nature, he had no choice but to seek spiritual relief and emotional sustenance in natural mountains and rivers. . In these sentences, we can feel the poet's denial of officialdom and the loneliness and determination to fight against the secular world.
To sum up, I think "Returning to the Past" is a spiritual song of loneliness, anger, sorrow and joy. It shows the poet's self-sufficiency and self-sufficiency in returning to his original nature and taking care of his life. , there are also sadness and sighs about how time flies and life is short; there is the freedom of riding the waves and being carefree in the world; there is also the regret and heartache of accidentally entering the officialdom and having a twisted mind; there is the tranquility and indifference of family reunions and the company of piano and books, and there is also the lack of worldly life. The depression and loneliness of being a close friend and having a heartache that cannot be told... In a word, just as the poet Gong Zizhen of the Qing Dynasty said, "Poets are actually plain, two parts of "Liang Fu" and one part of "Sao" ("Jihai Miscellaneous Poems"). Read Tao's essays , immersed in the landscape and countryside, we must not ignore the poet's hidden sorrow.